The Game
by CaptainMajor
Summary: It's 1943 in Nazi Occupied France, and a German soldier reads aloud from the book Titen Herz. Basta appears in war time Europe, accused of being a British spy. Under Nazi capture he falls into a heated game of cat and mouse, alongside a traitorous miss...
1. Chapter 1: A Turn In Time

Chapter 1: A turn in time

A voice, low and irritated, rumbled through the dim room. A young man crouched on the floor, dropped on one knee, listening as his master scolded him.

"I am very disappointed with you, Basta" growled the voice. Basta dropped his head, dark hair falling over the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry, Master" mumbled the young man. Beads of sweat collected on his forehead, and he swallowed noisily. He knew he was in trouble. Big trouble.

"Look at me, Basta." The voice adopted a more teasing tone. Sweat ran down the back of Basta's neck as he reluctantly turned his head upwards, tilting his chin towards the tall man looming in the dimness. A smile passed over the man's face. "Very good." His teeth gleamed and Basta felt his stomach begin to knot. He nibbled his bottom lip in nervousness.

"Capricorn, Master, I am very sorry-" Basta's voice was low and sincere. Capricorn raised a hand, wordlessly telling Basta to stop speaking. The young man's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape. His gaze flicked over the red tapestries hung on the cold stone walls, over the oak desk covered in scrolls, and down to the gritty stone floor. Capricorn cleared his throat, prompting Basta to hunch his shoulders in a defensive cringe. As his mind whirled around the possible terrible things Capricorn would do to him, in punishment for his...poor... actions, Capricorn began to pace. His footsteps echoed in the high ceilinged room. Basta's pulse pounded in his temples and his palms accumulated a modest amount of sweat. His mind raced. His heart leapt. What would happen? His master stopped pacing when he reached Basta's side. It was then the young man realised he had been holding his breath. He let it out in a loud gasp, spittle dribbling off his chin. Beads of sweat raced down his temples, and glued his hair to his hot skin. Capricorn chuckled.

"Oh, Basta" his voice was a low hum that engulfed the whole room. Basta's chest heaved as he struggled to control his breathing. He balled his hands into fists, while digging his fingernails into his palm; preparing himself for the torture that would surely come. Last time, he recalled bitterly, had been a beating. A beating that had lasted a lengthy hour, and involved chains and ropes... he still bore a number of bruises on his legs and back. Capricorn chuckled again, and nudged Basta's ribs with his heavy boot. "Up. On your feet." His voice was softer, but it still managed to hold a grave seriousness to it. Basta hastily scrambled to his feet, ashamed of the way his heart pounded. Capricorn began pacing again, a tighter circle around his victim's quivering body. Goose skin prickled under Basta's sleeves. Capricorn came to a halt in front of the young man. Their faces were close enough to kiss, and Basta dared not breathe. The stale smell of his master's breath on his own lips made his stomach clench. Not a tall man himself, Basta had to turn his head upwards to look his master in the face. His nostrils quivered and he frowned, struggling to keep his composure. Hands still balled into worried fists, he awaited the first blow. Would it be to the face? The stomach? The groin? Would Capricorn pull his hair or kick his knees out? "You disappoint me, boy" his voice was dangerously calm.

"I won't do it again-" Basta began to protest, his eyes narrowing shut. Capricorn raised his hand, ready to slap, when a voice from behind the closed door stopped them both.

"Capricorn, sir! You must come outside! There is a man here to see you." Basta's eyes popped open. He saw the raised hand, then the indignant expression on his master's face. He cringed once again, anticipating a sharp slap across the face before his master left to attend his business. Instead, the man sighed exuberantly, adjusted his collar with both hands, and cast Basta lingering warning glare.

"You had better be here when I get back" hissed Capricorn, his icy grey eyes locking with Basta's greens. Basta bowed his head and nodded, mumbling an inaudible _Yessir_. Capricorn's boots clopped noisily on the stone floor as he sauntered towards the door, to the attendant waiting in the hall. The door lurched open. "What is this all about" his voice muffled out as the door slammed behind his broad back.

Basta gasped and panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. His limbs quivered and he teetered in his mid-calf riding boots. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, relishing the time away from his boss. He glanced nervously around the room, eyes falling over the familiar pieces of furniture placed sparingly in the large catacomb-like bedroom. The entire room was made of stone, resembling a castle keep, though it was merely a section of the fort where Capricorn dwelled. The red tapestries hung on the walls added warmth to the otherwise cold and drafty space. Basta felt his pulse slow, and the sweat stopped beading on his skin. He strained his ears, listening for Capricorn's voice or his footsteps, but heard nothing. The young man ran his right hand through his damp bangs, then through the dark brown mess of hair atop his head. Mouth ajar, he fought a case of shivers and licked his chapped lips.

Suddenly, the cool draft that whispered through the room was replaced something else, a warm lick of heat. Basta shuddered in content as the warmness caressed his skin like honey. He sighed involuntarily and let his eyelids droop. Where was the heat coming from? And a voice... a soft voice murmuring inaudible words. Words that Basta couldn't make out or understand... it seemed to be speaking from a far corner of the room. As the young man swivelled his gaze, spots of golden lights appeared in his peripherals. Confused and dazed, Basta felt himself swaying on his feet. He let out a confused gasp as the world around him began spinning ever so slightly. The dots of color accumulated until he was seeing warm balls of light all over the place, and slowly Capricorn's cold stone bedroom was replaced with something new, something different... warm golden light and unfamiliar pieces of furniture... Basta swayed, unaware of his own body, and collapsed onto his knees. He promptly fell face first into something soft and the incredible warmth overtook him. He squished his eyes shut and gasped throatily into the soft surface. He gasped again, and made no effort to raise his head and observe his surroundings. He lay in a limp pile on the floor for what felt like minutes, when a frantic voice grabbed his attention once again.

"_Oh Mein Gott!" _came a man's voice, shocked and confused. Basta groaned, listening to the strange garble of unfamiliar words. He slowly lifted his head, becoming aware of the fact that he was no longer in Capricorn's bedroom.

"Where am I?" He groaned from deep in his narrow chest. He blinked heavily and slowly the room came into focus. The cold stone floor was replaced with something else, a warm soft material that Basta had never felt before. He quickly glanced up, ignoring the frightened shouts, and observed the new room. The walls were softer looking and painted a soft cream color. Dark oak furniture decorated the smaller room. Book shelves, a desk, table, chairs... it was all so different! And the source of the voice. Basta snapped his head to the left, and Basta could see the man that had been talking.

Anxiety clouded Basta's mind. He began shaking harder than he had back in Capricorn's bedroom. His stomach clenched and his heart nearly burst from his chest, leaping out at the soft white material covering the floor. "Who are you?" Cried Basta confused and terrified. The man sitting the chair had a book held out in front of him, as if using it as a shield against Basta's crumpled figure. When the man didn't reply, Basta repeated himself, raising his voice and causing spit to fly from his lips. "I SAID, WHO ARE YOU?" His heart thudded as the quivering man with the book sputtered more incomprehensible words.

"_Wo bist mein Kinde? Wo bist mein kinde?" _He looked about the room frantically, as if looking for something... or someone.

Basta rose to his feet, swaying and fighting nausea. He put a hand to his tight abdomen and clenched his eyes shut for a brief moment. When he felt stable, Basta contorted his face into one of a very angry man's. He repeated his question, emphasizing his need for an answer. "I said, WHO are YOU?" His voice was bitter and poisonous, and seemed to grab the stranger's attention.

"_Britisch! Britisch spion!" _Basta frowned at the frantic man's cry. The man appeared to be in his early forties or late thirties, and though his hair held no trace of grey, he would surely age another decade if he kept behaving as frantically as he was.

"Britisch?" Basta tried to manoeuvre his tongue around the strange word. Was it the man's name?

"_Wo is mein Kinde?" _He got to his feet, pacing furiously, all the while keeping a wild eye on Basta. Basta stood stalk straight, confused and utterly terrified. His breaths transformed into hyperventilation, and he felt his vision changing to tunnel vision. He began sweating, more profusely than he had been in Capricorn's bedroom, and the world around him began to spin again, until suddenly that soft white floor found its way to the young man's cheek...

**A/N:**

**Well, well, well. Thought I was gone forever, didja? Yeah, I thought so too. But as it turns out, I've got some time this year. Some unfortunate changes have happened in my life, so I'll have enough time to write. I'll postpone my retirement to a different year. **

**SO! How was everyone's summer? I hope every single one of you had a great one. I know mine was OK. I've had better, but I've also had worse. I did lots and lots of partying this year! I rocked out with a bunch of Europeans, so that was **_**obviously **_**a great time. Seriously, Europeans really know how to party. If you ever get the chance, I advise you take that chance. And party like you've never partied before. ARIBA. **

**Alright, so this story... **

**I'm actually excited about this one. This is where my time and effort is going, for the time being. I'll actually make a bit of an effort to write this one properly. But... I would really appreciate some reviews! I'd like to thank all of you that still reviewed and faved my stories while I was MIA. You guys are really cool. Mademoiselle Ouiseau De Nuit, you especially. My inbox was FILLED with awesomeness from you. THANK YOU! Or should I say, Merci! Alright, so, I apologize for all the non-updates and my inexistence. I was kind of stuck in limbo for a while. Trapped somewhere between piling Ikea mattresses onto a little car with bungee cords and twine, bottles of vodka, and dancing like an idiot with a guy from Spain in my living room. Yeah, things got a little weird for a while. **

**Reviews please! :D **

**Xo**

**PS: I advise you listen to the song "We no Speak Americano" By Yolanda Be Cool. I happened to have been a part of a 4 man thrust line during that song, AND happened to be stuck in rush hour traffic, in a little car, with 2 mattresses attached to the roof while listening to that song (separate occasions, of course). It's a good song. Very catchy. **


	2. Chapter 2: The Interview

Chapter 2: The Interview

"Wake up" a muffled male voice prodded Basta's consciousness. "Wake up!" He felt a slap on his cheek and a nudge in his ribs. He groaned, wondering if it were Capricorn's voice he was hearing. Was he back on the cold stone floor of his master's bedroom? He groaned again, and slowly opened his eyes. He found himself squinting against the light of an unfamiliar room. A blurry face slowly came into focus. Basta groaned again, and lolled his head from side to side. The face that glared at him from a higher vantage became clear, and Basta realised that it was not Capricorn glaring at him, but a complete stranger. The man that glared was dressed in a dark green/grey uniform. He had golden coloured hair, combed back neatly.

"Who are you?" asked Basta, his voice low and confused. The man standing across from him acknowledged someone else- another man in the same uniform. Basta sighed ruefully and attempted to mentally piece together the peculiar situation he found himself in. The two men murmured amongst themselves.

"_Britisch! Er ist Britisch!" _

"Huh?" Basta's eyes widened in confusion, and he quickly realised that his arms and shoulders were very sore. He made an attempt to rub his left bicep, only to find that his hands were shackled behind his back, to the back of the chair he sat in. His heart pounded in alarm, and he searched the faces of the three uniformed men in desperation. "Where am I? Who are you?" he jerked his shoulders and swivelled his head from side to side, anxiously taking in his surroundings; an unfurnished room, lit by harsher overhead lights. Sweat ran down the young man's face and neck, and a warm moistness accumulated in his palms. It frightened him that he couldn't understand the words that the man with the golden hair was saying.

"_Deutsch?_" asked the golden haired man. Basta's eyes widened like saucers. "_Ich annehem nicht_" muttered the golden haired man to the accomplice to his right. Basta felt bile rise into his throat. His stomach clenched and he felt absolutely trapped... heart racing, he cast the golden haired man a pleading look. "Ok, so you don't speak German" said the man, sounding bored and irritated. Basta had to struggle to understand the words he said- his voice was thickly obscured with an accent Basta later learned was German.

"No I don't" said Basta, not understanding what _German_ meant anyways. His eyebrows knit together in a frown. His pulse throbbed in his temple and sweat continued to drip down the collar of his shirt, cooling his smooth, heaving chest. "Where am I?" He felt slightly relieved that he could speak with the men, without the use of the strange words he did not understand. _Britisch, Deutsch, annehem..._ the guttural sounds were confusing and caused Basta's head to ache.

"Who did the British send you to spy on?" Demanded the blonde, his grey eyes fierce.

"Err-?" Basta frowned even harder, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't understand!" he squirmed under the man's critical stare. The man said something to the man to his left, who nodded, saluted, and strode out of the small room. Basta's eyes continued to widen, and his heart didn't cease to pound crazily.

"Who were you sent to spy on?" The man demanded a second time, and when Basta failed to provide an answer, a gloved hand struck him across the face. The young man gaped in horror. His cheek stung, and for a still moment his eyes locked with the cold greyness of the other man's. The man who had slapped him- the gold haired fellow- had a broad face and a long, crooked nose. His lips were thin and curled in a despisal twist.

"I'm not a spy!" Spat Basta, contorting his face angrily. The other man, the one with black hair, murmured something to his accomplice.

"_Wie heißt sie?" _

"Ah. Yes. What is your name?" Asked the gold haired man, seemingly out of place suddenly. Basta figured he didn't interrogate strangers often.

"My name is Basta." He frowned once again, though his heart rate began to slow, and the sweat didn't roll off his skin anymore. He just suddenly felt incredibly irritated and prayed for the mobility of his arms. He did not appreciate the shackles...

"What an odd name, this Basta..." The gold haired man narrowed his eyes. "Now I'll ask you again: who were you sent to spy on?"

Basta let out a roar of frustration.

"I AM NOT A SPY!" his voice quivered with rage, and he felt his face heating up. Suddenly, the man balled up a fist and punched Basta square in the nose. Basta cried out in pain as his head flew back. The chair rocked on its back legs, and blood flowed from his nose. "What the _fuck_ was that for!" he cried angrily, jerking on the shackles.

"Tell me who you're spying on! What are the ally scum plotting?" When Basta just stared stupidly in his direction, silently fuming, the man took another blow, punching him in the nose a second time.

"ahh FUCK!" Basta screamed angrily as blood flowed from his nose and into his mouth, staining his teeth and filling his mouth with a heavy metallic taste.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING!" The man had completely lost his temper. The veins in his forehead became very pronounced, and his hands balled into fists. Flecks of spittle landed on Basta's face, and he found himself ready for the next blow. Just as the man was about to take a third swing, the door to the small room swung open and two men walked in. The angry man quickly clapped his heels together and flung a hand to his forehead in an animated salute. Basta groaned deep in his throat and turned his head towards the doorway, to see who had arrived. Another man, dressed in the same shade of green, came into the room with one of the accomplices by his side. He wore a black brimmed hat, unlike any hat Basta had ever seen before. _What strange people_ he remarked, squinting his eyes and angrily chewing on his chapped bottom lip. The man that walked in had a fancier uniform than the other men. His had badges and decorations pinned to his chest, and a thick black cross hanging from his collar.

"Now now, Lieutenant, that is no way to treat our guest" purred the decorated man. He too spoke with that peculiar accent. The blonde lowered his head and murmured something in German. Basta glared at the newcomer. "I'll take it from here" said the new man, smiling. He approached a glowering Basta, and stopped in front of him, rubbing his hands together vigorously. "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Colonel Hand Landa, of the SS. "I apologize for the lieutenant's actions. Shall we take this conversation to my office?" Basta just glared up at the man's face. Colonel Hans Landa bore a handsome smile, and his dark blue eyes glinted mischievously from under the brim of his fancy hat. Basta exhaled, and nodded while tugging on the shackles again. "Ah, yes, of course." Colonel Lana smiled and acknowledged the shackles. "Lieutenant?" The blond fellow grumbled as he went behind Basta, freeing the shackles from the chair. Basta stood, under the critical gaze of the Colonel, and allowed the Blonde man to take hold of the shackles and nudge him towards the door. As he walked, Basta took in every detail of the strange room. Everything was so different; he couldn't possibly fathom what was happening. Hans Landa was talking, speaking in a placid tone and he seemed to be in an extremely good mood. Basta didn't acknowledge his presence; he merely looked around the building he was being pushed through. Everything was so _different_. The room they passed through was a fine lobby, with polished stone floors and walls painted a light shade of cream. A dark reception desk stood under a bright wall light. Basta gaped at the lighting fixture. _Light without a flame! How is this possible? _Landa walked briskly over the polished floor, then turned to his left, up a fine staircase. Basta was nudged along, though he didn't need much encouragement. He walked as if in trance, awed by the fine polished furniture and modern decor. _Where am I? _Basta was utterly baffled. Landa jogged up the staircase with a great deal of energy. Basta noted, when Landa finished his climb up the stairs, that the German Colonel wore boots very similar to his own. Mid- calf length riding type boots. Though Landa's were incredibly shiny, and sported shiny silver hardware for buckles. Basta's boots were much rattier, and lacked the shine and stiffness that Landa's had.

The upper level of the building had a long hallway, with a number of polished oak doors on either side. The Colonel walked briskly to a door close to the end of the hall.

"Come in" he said with a smile, holding the door open for Basta. The young man grunted as he passed the green-glad man. The blond fellow nudged him towards another chair, instructed him to sit down. With a groan, Basta quickly wiped the drying blood off his upper lip with his shoulder before allowing the man to shackle him to the chair. He sighed, and tilted his head back. "_Danke, Leutnant_." Landa smiled, with closed lips, and closed the door shut behind the other man's back. Basta heard a click as the smiling Colonel locked the door. "Now, where were we" said Landa, his voice casual and happy. Basta found himself scowling as the older man approached. Basta lifted his chin, turning his head in Landa's direction. He noted that the Colonel, though not very tall, stood a good three inches taller than Basta himself. Basta figured he must have been close to 5'8 or 5'9. This irritated the young man. Landa hummed an unfamiliar tune for several moments before resuming his speech. "Ah, yes. We were just getting to know each other." Landa removed his hat, revealing a full head of light brown hair. The only sign of age was slight greying near the colonel's temples. He must have been between 47 and 52. He placed the hat gingerly on a clean oak desk, then took a seat before Basta. "What is your name?" Now that the hat was gone, Basta could fully see Landa's face. The man had a stubborn, masculine chin, with a slight dent in the middle. His eyes were intense and dark, fixed intently on Basta's face.

"My name is Basta."

"That's it? No surname?"

"Err, no..." Basta frowned. His head ached and pounded and he wished the nightmare would end. _Surly that's all this is... just a nightmare. A terrible nightmare. And in no time I'll wake up in Ombra, in my own bed, and I'll never have to see these strangely dressed men ever again. _

"Look, Basta, we can make this an easy experience, or a hard experience. If you oblige to my questions, and answer honestly, your participation will be rewarded." Landa raised his eyebrows, and flashed Basta a crooked smile. Basta found himself shivering. "Now, we are already aware that you are working for the British-"

"Who?"

"Don't play stupid with me, you know very well who I'm talking about." Colonel Landa frowned and twisted his full, boyish lips into a scowl.

"No, sir, I don't." Basta's doe eyes widened under Landa's intense stare. "And what makes you think I'm one of them?" His head was aching again, and he wished for a glass of water. Landa continued to stare, then quickly scribbled something onto the clipboard he had sitting on his lap.

"So you're completely unaware of the very accent you speak with, Basta?" Landa narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. Basta, exasperated, howled in misery and threw his head back. To his utter embarrassment, hot tears welled in his eyes and poured out of the corners and down his temples, leaking into his already damp hair. The taste of blood remained in his mouth, and his entire body _ached_. More tears. Flowing now in thin salty rivers over the smoothness of his face. Landa didn't utter a word.

"Where the fuck am I?" He sobbed, his voice changed into that of a desperate man's. Tears caused his eyelashes to clump together, cold and wet. His chest shook and heaved, and he continued to draw blood from his palms. When he finally composed himself enough to raise his head, and when the tears dried to salty tracks on his face, he stared into his lap, wishing he could disappear into the black fabric. Colonel Landa was writing.

"It would appear that you have struck your head" muttered Landa, glancing up from his paper. "We'll have a doctor come tend to you." Landa cast Basta a lingering, scrutinizing look before turning to a small black device on the table; a device that Basta would later recognize as a telephone. He watched in mild fascination as Landa spun the dial a number of times, and spoke into the receiver. He spoke in fluent German, for a few moments, before hanging up and returning his attention back to Basta. "A doctor will be in to see you shortly. In the mean time, it is my duty as a Colonel of the SS, to keep you under close surveillance, as you are a suspect." Landa spoke easily, his words coming out silkily and calmly. He licked the end of the pen before using it to write again.

"I'm sorry sir" Basta was startled by his own voice. It was husky and sore, ad if he had been swallowing razors. "I am extremely confused. All I remember is waking up on some man's floor, then waking up again that room downstairs. I don't know where I am, or who you are... I'm just very confused and I want to go home." Landa considered this, closing his mouth and studying Basta with unblinking eyes. When he spoke, his voice was lower, more thoughtful.

"Where do you live?"

"In Capricorn's fortress, outside the city of Ombra." _Surely this man has a map_ thought Basta desperately, forcing himself to keep from losing his sanity. Landa continued to stare before writing something down on the paper again. Basta huffed a sigh. "Do you have a map?" He asked, frowning desperately. "I can show you exactly where it is."

Landa's eyebrows raised. He got to his feet, carefully placing the clipboard and pen on the desk, next to his hat. He paced over to a table in the corner of the room, and brought over three different large sheets of paper, each rolled into scrolls. He unrolled one, and spread it out on the desk. Wordlessly, the Colonel walked over to Basta, releasing him from the chair. Basta hastily approached the desk, and bent over the map. Landa stood by his side, peering at the map as well. Basta's heart thumped as his eyes searched the fancy parchment. An unfamiliar shape presented itself in front of him. At the top of the page, written in nice cursive, was one word: _La France._

"I don't know this" said Basta, dumbfounded. "This isn't familiar." His eyes scanned the map of the country, over strange names he'd never heard of before: _Normande, Paris, Cannes, Le Havre... _"I don't know this."

"How about this one?" Purred Landa, spreading out a second map. At the top of this map the word _England_ was written. Again, nothing familiar.

"No, no, no, no!" Basta felt anxiety rush over him. Wordlessly, Landa spread out the last scroll: _Die Welt _(The world). "What is this?" Cried Basta, staring at the unfamiliar collection of shapes on the map. Landa gawked at the side of his head, disbelievingly. "I don't see Ombra on here"

"Is Ombra a base in England?" tried Landa, prodding his finger over an island on the map.

"No, no, Ombra is a City" growled Basta in annoyance. _I thought this man was intelligent! But he's never even heard of the largest city in the country? _Then it slowly started to occur to Basta...

These were two completely different worlds.

Landa sighed in frustration.

"I think it be best if we wait for the doctor..." he rubbed an eyebrow with his index finger. Basta noted that Landa's hands were large and calloused. Basta himself had smaller, softer hands. He had narrow wrists and slighter fingers, whereas Landa had sinuous wrists and hands. "In the mean time, I'll show you to your cell." _My cell? _Basta's mind spun. _I don't want to sleep in a cell! _But at that moment, he was too tired to protest. He felt like too much of an idiot to say anything, really. So he just bowed his head and allowed Landa to prod him out of the office, back down the staircase, and down a secondary hallway, back towards the interrogation room. But instead of turning into the familiar door, they continued down a minor hallway. Basta sighed as they pushed through a number of doors and hallways before they reached a small cell. Basta wasn't sure what sort of building he was in, one with a lobby, and office, and a cell, but he didn't bother asking. Colonel Landa looked preoccupied and dazed as he unshackled Basta's hands, and closed the barred door shut. Basta watched through the jail-cell as Landa said _Adieu! _And strode away. Alone with the silence, Basta sat on the cot at the far end of the cell, and sat on the mattress, which was surprisingly soft and much better than the bed he slept at in Ombra. Surprised, Basta knelt next to the cot, prodding the material of the mattress. It wasn't made out of straw!

"Amazing..." Basta murmured to himself before collapsing on the soft bed. He sighed, closed his eyes, and let his head spin.

**A/N:**

**Ohhhh my god! This story is so hard to write! D: Waa! I'm having such a hard time with this! I've never written a cross-over before, and I'm having a really hard time making this chapter convincing. I would really appreciate some supportive reviews! (Thank you "Basta's Girl" For being the first person to review this story). Please be proud of me for updating so fast! ... pwetty pwease? **


	3. Chapter 3: Dr Hertz

Chapter 3: Dr. Hertz

"Basta, wake up. Basta... open your eyes." A male's voice entered Basta's sleeping mind, making him groan and whimper. Reluctantly, his eyelids rose, revealing glossy green irises and bloodshot sclera. "Good evening, sir" said a man, sitting beside Basta's bed. Basta moaned in frustration and squished his eyes shut. He didn't want to deal with yet _another_ German man. "Basta, my name is Dr. Hertz, I'm here to give you a brief physical exam, and ask you a few questions." Basta glared Dr. Hertz. The man wore an unbuttoned white lab coat, revealing a white button down shirt and brown tweed vest underneath. He wore dark chocolate brown slacks, and a strange metal device was resting around his neck. Basta eyed the silver and black thing, wondering what in the world it was for. He wanted to ask, very badly, but didn't bother. He was too tired. "Alright, then" Dr. Hertz forced a bit of a smile, and started buttoning up the coat. Basta eyed the man in disgust, his eyes flicking over the Doctor's face. The man looked trustworthy, but somewhat distant. He had a perfectly smooth, round face, with no trace of stubble or blemishes. His eyebrows were arched, resting well above dark, half-moon shaped eyes. He had long black eyelashes that matched the color of his short, slightly ruffled hair. The doctor clicked his tongue as he finished with the buttons, and removed the silver and black thing from his neck.

"What is that?" Asked Basta, involuntarily. Dr. Hertz paused, frowned slightly, then realised what Basta was talking about.

"This?" He asked, in his gentle voice. Basta nodded, and sat up.

"It's a stethoscope" said Dr. Hertz, holding the strange device in his hands. "I use it to listen to heartbeats." His voice was low and smooth, and didn't hold a single sign of irritation. "You've never seen one before?" He asked, curious.

"No" Basta shook his head.

"Not even as a child?"

"...No." Basta frowned. _Am I supposed to have seen that before?_ The Doctor raised his eyebrows before putting two projections into his ear. Basta watched in mild fascination.

"Strange" murmured the doctor, shaking his head a bit. "Alright, then. Could I please get you to remove your shirt?"

"Pardon?"

"Your shirt... I need you to take it off so I can listen to your heartbeat." Basta wondered why the doctor would want to hear his heartbeat, but sighed in defeat and removed his shirt anyways. Goosebumps prickled his soft skin as the cooler air rushed to greet him. He held his arms together as his hair stood on end and as his nipples hardened. Dr. Hertz took the extended part of the stethoscope, the one with the circle at the end, and placed it over Basta's chest. The young man yelped and hopped as the cold metal surprised his skin.

"Sorry" said Dr. Hertz with a trace of a smile. "I forgot to tell you, it's very cold." Basta frowned, but said nothing. Instead, he watched Dr. Hertz's face as the man concentrated on listening to his heartbeat. _Fascinating, _thought Basta. Dr. Hertz adjusted the stethoscope, and the room was filled with intense silence. The circle moved a couple more times, then the doctor moved it to Basta's back. "Deep breaths, please" said the doctor, sounding distracted. Basta obeyed, breathing in deep, and exhaling. Dr. Hertz said nothing, and then removed the stethoscope. "Your breathing is healthy" he said, removing the stethoscope from his ears, and placing it in the black bag he had brought into the cell. "Your heart rate is pretty fast, though. I'll take it you're very anxious at the moment." The Doctor sighed, and massaged his brow with a finger. He quickly scribbled something onto his clipboard- much like Colonel Landa had done earlier- then produced something from his bag. Basta didn't recognize this instrument either, and he wondered what it was for. Dr. Hertz knelt on one knee, so he was eye level in front of his patient. "I'm going to check your eyes now" he said, raising the small narrow tube up towards Basta's face. The young man squirmed a bit, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He didn't enjoy being that close to the doctor's face, nor did he feel at ease about the strange tube thing being held up before his eye. Doctor Hertz didn't seem to notice his patient's discomfort (or he just didn't care), and proceeded to click something on top of the tube. Suddenly, a blinding light was shot into Basta's left eye. With a cry, he sprang up in the air, yelping and holding a hand to his eye.

"What are you doing!" I he cried at the doctor. "You've blinded me!"

"Mr. Basta, I've merely shined a penlight into your eye! You're not blind!" The Doctor's voice was irritated now and surprised as well. Tentatively, Basta took the hand away from his eye. Sure enough, he wasn't blind. "Now would you please take a seat so I can finish this exam?" The doctor seemed tired, and Basta wanted to go back to sleep. So he obeyed, hoping the man would leave soon. "I'm going to shine the light again" warned the doctor, using his fingers to hold Basta's eyelid open. "I'd appreciate it if you sat still." Basta said nothing, but flinched as the doctor shone the light in his eye. As the doctor stared and made a humming sound, then bestowed the same process to the other eye, Basta wondered how one could possibly produce a light so bright, without fire, and capture it in such a small metal tube. "You have fantastic pupil reflexes..." he murmured, frowning.

"I do?" Basta had no idea what that meant, but he figured it was a good thing. Doctor Hertz sighed and put the penlight away, then ran a hand through his short black hair.

"Alright" sighed the doctor, looking exhausted. "Before we start the mental examination, I need to complete your physical."

"Alright" Basta yawned, and rubbed his eyes. Dr. Hertz fished through his bag again, and pulled out a very thin glass stick. Basta eyed the instrument suspiciously and wondered what the doctor would do with it.

"Open up" murmured the doctor, pointing the stick at Basta's mouth. Basta obeyed, while raising an eyebrow. The thin glass stick was slid into his mouth, and Dr. Hertz instructed him to keep his lips compressed around the _thermometer._ Basta's eyebrows raised and he tried to get a view of the strange glass thing sticking out of his mouth. He saw a red line growing along the length of the device.

_This is such a strange place..._thought Basta, eyeing the doctor now. Hertz sighed and stared into his black bag, as if peering into a different dimension. He seemed lost for a moment, then quickly pulled his gaze out of the bag, and forced a compressed lip smile at Basta. He approached him, then took the thermometer from his mouth.

"Very good" murmured the handsome doctor, observing the red line. He wiped it off with a rag, scribbled on his chart, then put it back in the bag. He came over to Basta again, and asked him to stand. Basta obeyed, swaying on his feet. The doctor pinched some skin, watching closely as the skin recoiled almost instantly. He murmured to himself, nodded, then saw the bruises on Basta's body. "How did you get these?" he asked, gently prodding the purple and green bruises on Basta's back.

"Got beat up" he muttered, embarrassed. The doctor was silent. He stared at the collection of injuries, then paced around Basta's body, searching for more.

"Please remove your boots and your pants" said the doctor, approaching his clipboard. Basta froze. _Remove my pants? Why? I don't want to take off my pants. _"I don't have all night" said the doctor, in a bored tone. Basta debated this. _On or off? On or off? _All it took was a glance at the cozy bed that caused Basta to sigh and obey. He tugged the raggedy belt apart, stepped out of his boots, and let his pants drop, exposing his white cotton undershorts. Dr. Hertz put down the clipboard, and examined Basta's bruised shins and knees. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I told you, I got beat up." Snarled Basta, frowning angrily at the patient doctor.

"You were abused or tortured?" Asked the doctor, eyeing the bruises.

"What makes you think I didn't get in a fight?" Basta huffed impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because the only wound on your face was from the blow you took from the Lieutenant downstairs." Basta figured Landa had told him about the beating during the interrogation. "You don't have any physical signs of being in a fight, you were beaten. Now who did it?"

"My boss" muttered Basta, defeated. He felt too exhausted to let his temper rise. _Normally- _he thought, as the doctor continued to write- _I would have hit him. But I am too tired to do much of anything..._ his eyelids drooped. Dr. Hertz asked him to sit, and brought something from his bag. A small hammer like device, with a red coloured piece at the end. Basta sat, and the doctor explained that he would tap Basta's knee with his reflex hammer. The doctor did what he said he would, tapping Basta's knees with the hard little thing. Basta found that his knees twitched involuntarily.

"Very good" murmured the doctor. "Alright, I'm just going to check your back and head, then we can continue with our mental exam." Basta nodded, and obeyed the doctor when he asked him to stand. Dr. Hertz stood behind him, and rand his hands along Basta's spine. Basta involuntarily let out a small sigh. Dr. Hertz's hands were gentle as they prodded along his spine. He did the same with the neck, turning Basta's head from side to side, then asked Basta to sit down, so he could better see his head. Dr. Hertz stood at 5'10, taller than Colonel Hans Landa, and taller than Basta, so an upper vantage would aid the examination. "Have you bumped your head recently?" Asked the doctor, as he touched his head, obviously looking for possible head wounds.

"No" Basta knew Dr. Hertz wouldn't find any bumps or scrapes on his head.

"Alright then, that pretty much finishes up our physical exam. I've got some different clothes for you to wear." The doctor passed Basta the pile of clothes that had been sitting, neatly folded, next to the bag. Basta took the fabric from the doctor's hands, and nervously unfolded the new garments. "I'll give you some privacy, and return in a few moments." The doctor smiled, picked up his bag, and left the cell, disappearing down the hallway to the right. Basta yawned sleepily, and looked at the clothes he was expected to wear. Creased pants, the same color as the Germans', with drawstring ankles and a belt looped waistband. A plain white tee-shirt that smelled of soap, thin grey socks, and dark grey undershorts. Basta glanced nervously over his shoulder, to make sure no one was standing outside his cage-like cell, before dropping his own white undershorts, and sliding into the tighter confines of the new ones. He curled a lip and eyed the elastic waistband and flapped front of the new ones. He quickly snatched up the green pants, and slid the soft, stiffer fabric up his legs. He admitted to himself that he did quite like the pants. They fit perfectly, and sported a number of pockets, two on the butt, two on the sides. He pulled on the socks, which were also supported with elastic. Basta smiled at the new clothes before pulling the soft white cotton tee-shirt over his torso. He bunched his old clothes up into a ball, threw them to the far corner of the cell, and kicked his boots under the cot. He ran a hand through his hair, which felt rough from the blood and sweat that had dried to the strands. Back in Ombra, he'd recently washed his hair outside in the cold lake.

Dr. Hertz returned a few moments later, his lab coat draped over his arm, and the clipboard in his hand. He pulled a chair into the cell, and sat across from Basta.

"Make yourself comfortable" said the doctor, putting the clipboard on his lap. Basta leaned his back against the wall, and crossed his legs on the cot. "I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and I need you to answer each one honestly. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Alright, so to start, what is your full name?"

"Basta."

"Just Basta? You don't have a middle or surname?"

"No, sir. Just Basta."

"Alright, then." Hertz raised his eyebrows and wrote on his clipboard. Basta closed his eyes for a short moment, until the doctor posed a second question.

"Is there any history of mental disorders in your family?"

"I don't know my family" said Basta ruefully. He twisted his mouth. He only remembered Capricorn.

"So you're an orphan?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Who did you grow up with?"

"My Boss."

"Who is that?"

"Capricorn."

"Capricorn? Is that his full name as well? Just Capricorn?" Dr. Hertz looked puzzled and slightly irritated.

"Yes. Just Capricorn." The sound of scribbling on paper filled the quiet cell.

"So where did you grow up?"

"In Ombra" said Basta, feeling irritated. He had a feeling that the doctor would be unaware of Ombra's existence, just as Colonel Landa had been.

"I've never heard of Ombra" said the Doctor, looking confused again. "Where is it?"

"It's not in any of the Colonel's maps" said Basta, feeling drained. "He hasn't heard of it either."

"I can assure you that the colonel is a very educated man, and is well aware of most cities and towns His job takes him all over Europe."

"Ombra isn't in Europe" said Basta, feeling his stomach knot again.

"Is it in America?"

"No." Basta didn't know what America was.

"Where is it, then?"

"In Lombrica, north of Argenta."

The look the doctor gave Basta made the young man's heart sink.

Eyebrows raised and pen posed over the clipboard, Dr. Hertz looked as if he was sitting across from a crazy person.

"And how exactly did you end up in Corporal Koehler's house?"

"I don't know" said Basta honestly, straining to remember the events that occurred earlier. "One minute I was standing in Capricorn's bedroom, the next I woke up on the floor of some man's room! I have no idea what happened."

"... What were you doing in Capricorn's room?" Asked the doctor, looking exhausted and agitated and very, very confused."

"Err... I was in trouble. He was going to punish me for my poor behaviour." Basta fidgeted and bit his lip.

"What were you in trouble for?" Dr. Hertz seemed lost, and he scratched his head as he studied his clipboard.

"I...err... got caught messing around with his lady." Basta scrunched up his mouth and rolled his eyes. _Messing around with his lady_ was putting it lightly.

"Uh-huh..." Dr. Hertz didn't seem to believe anything that Basta said. "What do you do for this 'Capricorn'?"

"Everything" muttered Basta, feeling uncomfortable. "I'm like an envoy, his right hand man. I deliver messages, and things like that." Again, putting it lightly.

"An envoy? Basta... what year is it?" Dr. Hertz frowned.

"It's 1630." Basta stated this as a matter of fact. It was the year 1630. In Lombrica.

Dr. Hertz blinked and stared at Basta with his mouth resting ajar.

"Are you aware that the year 1630 passed 313 years ago?" Prodded Dr. Hertz, finally gaining mobility over his mouth.

"...sir?"

"It's currently 1943, in France, and the world is experiencing it's Second World War. You are under suspicion of being a spy for the Allies, and that is why you are under question and lockdown at this time."

Basta blinked.

And stared.

1943?

France?

Second World War?

Allies?

It didn't make sense. But... it did... it did make sense. It explained the strange new world, why nothing made sense. Why the people dressed different and spoke in strange languages.

Basta's eyes widened like saucers. His chest rose and fell in rapid hyperventilation.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND I DON'T UDERSTAND! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHY?" He shouted at Hertz, feeling his skin heat up and get sticky with sweat.

"Mr. Basta, please calm down!" Dr. Hertz held his arms out, showing his palms, encouraging Basta to calm down. "Relax, we'll figure this out."

Basta wrestled his breathing down to normal. He forced himself to nod.

"Alright. I need to ask a few more questions" said Hertz. He took a deep breath, then continued. "Alright, have you ever had any self destructive thoughts or behaviour?"

Basta stopped breathing. His eyes involuntarily flicked down to the wrists that he most definitely slit in the past. He sighed, and shook his head. It wasn't the doctor's business if he chose to slice his wrists or not.

"No" he lied. "No I haven't."

"Alright, that's good." Dr. Hertz didn't catch the lie, he seemed too tired. Instead he posed another question. "Basta, have you ever heard voices in your mind? Voices that seem to come out of nowhere?"

"No, Dr. Hertz." And that was the truth. Hertz nodded _mhm _and continued writing.

"Alright, then. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation before?"

"You mean, time traveling? Waking up on some guy's floor?"

"...yes."

"No! This is the first time anything weird has ever happened to me!" Basta huffed.

"Have you taken any drugs recently?"

"...Drugs?"

"Narcotics, Stimulants.."

"Uhh...?"

"Well, have you?"

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what those are." Basta blushed.

Dr. Hertz blinked several times.

"May I see your arm please?" He was frowning, so Basta extended his right arm for the doctor to see. Hertz held onto Basta's wrist, and peered closely at the crook of Basta's elbow, prodding the skin, then doing the same for the wrist. He then peered at the upper arm. He did the same exam on the other arm. "Basta, could you please drop your pants and take off your socks."

"Again?" Basta groaned and obeyed, taking off the comfy pants and soft socks. Dr. Hertz sighed and looked at the tight undershorts. "I'm going to check your feet first, then I'll have to ask you to remove your shorts." Basta's eyes widened. Dr. Hertz closely examined the soles of Basta's feet. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he told Basta to remove his undergarments. "Why?" Growled Basta, feeling trapped and intimidated.

"Because I need to check the heroin injection sites."

"What?" _A heroic woman injected where? _Basta glared at the Doctor as he slid his undershorts down to his knees. He felt so exposed, so embarrassed. His cheeks turned red and he couldn't bear to look at the doctor as the man instructed him to stand. Basta stared at the ceiling as Dr. Hertz checked his groin for any needle holes. When he found no evidence of drug injection, he told Basta to re-dress.

"Well, I see no evidence of drug injection." The doctor seemed absolutely baffled. Have you smoked anything recently?"

"I don't smoke growled Basta." The doctor's eyes widened a bit.

"I think we need to call it a night" he muttered, rubbing his eyebrows. "First I'll have to take a blood sample." He went over to his bag, and produced a plastic wrapped syringe from inside. Basta watched as the man also produced a square wrapped. He shed the wrapper, and wiped a part of Basta's bicep with a cold, wet pad that smelled awful. Basta watched as the doctor readied a glinting needle.

"What are you doing?" Asked Basta, staring at the needle in horror. He'd never seen anything like it before. It was the skinniest, sharpest piece of metal he'd ever seen.

"Just hold still" said the Doctor. Basta watched as Hertz stuck the needle into his arm.

"AH!" Basta cried out as a hot, solid pain was packed into his arm. Pressure built around the needle, and he watched in horror as the vile slowly filled with blood. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a sample of your blood" said the exhausted doctor.

"Why?"

"To check for drugs in your system."

"I told you already, I don't even know what drugs are!"

"_You_ may not have taken them, but someone may have slipped something into your food or drink without you knowing. It's a precaution I have to take. Hopefully this blood test will clear the situation up." When the vile was nearly half full, Basta felt his stomach unsettling, and extreme nausea causing his abs to contract. Cold sweat ran down his body, and the color drained from his face. The room spun, as it had when he was in Capricorn's room. Basta thought _maybe I'm going back to Ombra now_, and waited to start seeing the cold stone walls of Capricorn's fortress. But instead, he adopted tunnel vision and his head pounded. His ears rang and just as he was sure he would throw up, Dr. Hertz pulled the needle from his arm. "Are you alright?" Asked the doctor, sealing the syringe. Basta opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words coming out, he threw up all over the floor. Yellowish clear bile spread across the floor between his stocking feet. Basta pulled his legs up, and found himself tipping over, as if he was extremely drunk. "I'll get you some water" said the doctor, casting Basta a worried look. "I'll be right back." Basta lay on his bed, holding his knees to his chest, wishing that he was anywhere but that brightly lit cell. The doctor returned quickly, holding a glass full of clear liquid. Basta shook his head when the doctor offered it to him."Drink it" he said firmly. Basta whimpered, and forced himself to sit up. The nausea came back. He took the glass from Hertz, and took a small sip. The coldness of the drink cleared Basta's head, and he was able to blink the fuzziness out of his peripherals. He drank more, smiling, and the nausea soon left. The only ailment that remained was the ringing of his ears, but Basta did his best to ignore that. "I'll see you tomorrow, Basta" said Hertz, offering a tired smile. Basta nodded, finished the drink, and collapsed on his side. The bed fully enveloped his tired body, and he found himself drifting out of consciousness.

**A/N: **

**Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! ("Basta's Girl", your reviews always make me SMILE!) I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was a real pain to write, and as you know, I'm struggling to make this story as convincing as possible. Unfortunately, we need to get some boring crap out of the way before we can start introducing and developing the other characters. Please, please, please keep the reviews coming! I appreciate it so much when I get a positive review. Thanks for reading guys! :D **


	4. Chapter 4: The return of col Hans Landa

**A/N:**

**Alright guys, so for a while I had this story listed as an Inkheart/Inglourious Basterds Crossover. This IS in fact a crossover, because I've used the character Colonel Hans Landa in this story. The thing is, the story can only be found under the "Crossover" category if I keep it listed as such. So to ensure that people can actually**_** find**_** my story, I'm just listing it as a regular fic. **

Chapter 4: The Return of Col. Hans Landa

After Basta's blood tests had come back completely normal and Dr. Hertz hadn't found anything really wrong with Basta- other than some mild mal nutrition- mental health doctors had been called in.

A total of three doctors came to Basta's cell, to ask him the same questions, and each got the same answers. The doctors, each older than the last, all left scratching their increasingly balding heads at Basta's baffling case.

He wasn't schizophrenic.

He didn't have multiple personality disorder.

He passed the IQ test with flying colors, proving to have an impressive IQ of 144.

So what was his problem?

All the doctors had the same thing to say: do a polygraph test.

So that's how Basta found himself in Colonel Hans Landa's office once again, sitting in the chair, hands _still _shackled, waiting for the Colonel to enter the room. He sighed, tilting his chin and looking around the office. He really did like the room. It was decorated nicely, with dark oak furniture and burnt cream coloured walls. Bookshelves covered in books and papers collected all around the perimeter of the walls. The office had one window, but the darkness of the night obscured Basta's view of what was outside. He was just in the process of trying to slip his narrow wrists out of the handcuffs, when the door to the office opened, revealing Colonel Hans Landa. Basta quickly straightened out his hands, over reacting just a touch.

"Good evening, Basta" said Landa in his usual happy tone. He was smiling, of course. Colonel Landa was never without his smile. Basta felt the colonel was over enthusiastic, or just faking his happiness.

"Good evening" muttered Basta in reply. Landa remained in the doorway, removing his leather over coat and hanging it on the coat tree.

"How are you this evening?" Asked Landa, hanging his hat as well.

"I'm getting sick of these handcuffs" tried Basta, gritting his teeth. Landa chuckled, his dark eyes laughing as well.

"We'll see what we can do after the polygraph test."

"The what?"

"Polygraph test" repeated Landa, frowning. "A lie detector test."

"...You can do that?" Basta felt his eyes widening. Suddenly he felt extremely uncomfortable. _Will all my lies come spilling out during this test? _He wondered, envisioning every filthy lie he'd ever told coming out in front of the cheerful Landa.

"Yes, yes we can" suddenly Landa made a little frown, as if scrutinizing Basta. The young man squirmed in discomfort.

"Well... how does this thing work?" asked Basta, worry clearly audible in his voice. This seemed to please Landa.

"You'll see." Landa smiled, then turned his attention to something in the hallway. Basta craned his neck to see what the colonel was looking at. Then it entered the room. Another man dressed in a green uniform pushed a cart into Landa's office. Atop the cart was a strange sort of device. Basta had troubles digesting what he saw. A flat box like thing with other parts sticking from its surface was slowly pushed towards Basta. He felt his throat growing tighter and his eyes widening. Landa's smile was gone, and he silently sat in the chair opposite Basta. The cart stopped between the two men, and Basta saw Landa smiling with closed lips from across the strange lie machine. Basta's eyes flicked down to the device. A long piece of paper had finger like needles resting on top of it. Knobs and buttons were present as well. Basta felt his pulse increase. Landa got up from his chair, excusing the man who brought the machine into the room. Landa smiled down at Basta before attaching two long strings from the machine to his chest. Basta looked down at the strange devices attached to his white tee-shirt, wondering what they were supposed to do. As Landa bent over his body, Basta got a noseful of the other man's scent. Landa smelled good, of cologne that Basta had never smelled before. He also carried the faint scent of smoke and peppermint. Basta himself smelled heavily of peppermint, having chewed the leaves excessively before his arrival in France. The scent on Landa's breath was comforting, and Basta found himself wanting some mint leaves for himself. Landa wound another string-like device around Basta's belly. Landa produced another thing attached to the lie detector. This one had a thick band attached to the wire. "Arm please" said Landa, unsmiling. Nervously, Basta extended his left arm. Suddenly, Landa balked. "What happened to your arm?" Basta cringed. He knew Landa was referring to the pink and white scars snaking up from his wrists to his forearms. He sighed, looking away from the arms he hated so much.

"I don't like to talk about it" he hissed venomously. He had been surprised that the inquisitive Dr. Hertz hadn't mentioned the scars during his physical exam, and it just plain bothered him that Landa brought it up.

"Well, we should find out the truth soon enough, yes?" Landa smiled his terribly fake and over enthusiastic grin. Basta was getting sick of seeing the man's perfectly straight and perfectly white teeth. Landa tightened the thick band around Basta's muscled bicep. Then the colonel took a ball-like thing in his hand, which was connected to the band around Basta's arm. Basta watched as Landa squeezed his hand around the ball, and suddenly the band around his arm tightened. Basta's eyes widened as the band around his arm inflated and tightened. Landa sighed, put the ball down on the table, and turned on the machine.

Basta jumped a bit as the needles started swivelling and red lines appeared on the paper. He felt sweat collecting on his forehead. Landa cleared his throat, and sat down. He scooted the chair foreword and shook a pen.

"Alright, let's get started then, shall we?"

"Sure" Basta's breathing quickened as he stared at the moving machine. "Let's get this done with"

"Alright, I'll ask you a series of questions. It's your job to answer each honestly. If you lie, this machine will tell me." Landa's eyes twinkled mischievously as he readied the pen. "Breathe, relax" he said with a chuckle. "Your heart is pounding." Basta nodded feverishly. He was sweating, his heart was pounding and he had troubles breathing properly. "We'll start out with some very easy questions, remember, you'll only need to answer yes or no." Basta nodded. "Here's our practice question: Are your eyes green?" Landa didn't watch Basta, he was glancing at the paper and the jumping needles.

"Yes" said Basta, feeling blood rush through his veins. The needles scratched quietly over the paper, drawing small blue lines and peaks.

"Very good" murmured Landa. "See? Not that hard." He smiled quickly before turning his attention back to the paper. He also had a clipboard on his lap. "Answer falsely; I want to see how the machine reacts to your lie"

"Ok." Basta's breathing calmed the slightest bit.

"Is your hair blonde?"

"Yes" The needles suddenly jumped and wiggled, scratching higher peaks on the page.

"Very good." Basta sighed, and relaxed in his seat. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all_. "Is your name Basta?"

"Yes." The needles scratched lightly.

"Is Basta your full name?"

"...Yes." This time the needles scratched higher peaks, like they had when he had lied.

"Uh-oh" said Landa, a smile creeping on his face. "What's your full name, then?" Landa looked as pleased as a cat that had just cornered a mouse.

"I don't know" said Basta. According to the needles on the page, he was telling the truth. This made him sigh in relief. Though it seemed to confuse Landa.

"You don't know your full name?"

"No." The needles didn't react violently. Landa looked up at Basta, and one of his brown eyebrows rose upwards. He quickly wrote something on his clipboard, shaking his head slightly, then looked back up at Basta.

"Are you a spy for the allies?"

"No." The polygraph machine didn't twitch or spring. This seemed to both baffle and annoy Landa.

"Are you working for the allies?"

"No." Again, no change in the behaviour of the machine.

"Were you born in the 20th century?"

"No."

The polygraph remained stable.

Landa looked back up at Basta, his eyes wide and his mouth resting ajar. Colonel Hans Landa, the man that constantly remained calm and composed, was suddenly confused. Bewilderment showed plainly on his face, and Basta didn't know what to make of the situation.

"What year were you born in?" Landa's voice was barely more than a strained murmur.

"1609."When the polygraph didn't spazz, Landa's expression hardened.

"How old does that make you?" Asked Landa, looking at the needles in amazement.

"21." Said Basta. He was enjoying the look of shock on the colonel's face. And when the polygraph didn't react spastically, Landa seemed to stiffen.

"I don't believe it..." murmured Landa. "Do you have any idea how you got here?"

"No." But this time the needles did jump and scratch too high. Landa's eyes brightened. "Explain yourself."

"Well... I suppose, I figured I ended up here through a book." This explanation made Landa laugh. His guffaw filled the room, making Basta wish he could shrink and disappear.

"Through a book?" Landa seemed so amused by the thought that his face turned pink.

"Yes, through a book. When I woke up on that man's living room floor, he was holding a book."

"Interesting thought. Are you aware that that man's daughter went missing the night you arrived in his living room?"

"No, I am not."

"Hmm... well, she disappeared the night you arrived, at the very same moment, it seems."

_I wonder if she ended up in Capricorn's bedroom... _Suddenly Basta's heart rate soared. Landa raised an eyebrow at the jumping needles on the page.

"Your heart rate just increased. Why?" Landa demanded an answer, but Basta felt unable to explain. He was baffled by his own reaction. It wasn't like him to concern himself with the misfortunes of others. But this... this was just terrible. Basta figured his heart leapt for the child because he knew what Capricorn would most likely do to the poor thing.

"How old was she?" asked Basta, his heart in his throat. He was frightened by his own sudden growth of a heart. Feelings! Where did such things come from? _Because you're in the same goddamn situation _he answered his own question, feeling angry all of a sudden.

"Why does it matter to you?" Landa was testing Basta's patience.

"How old was the man's daughter?"

"I have asked you a question, Basta, and it is your job to answer me. Now I repeat: Why does it matter to you?"

"Because... because Capricorn likes young women." That was putting it lightly. Capricorn _really _likes _very young _ladies would be more accurate. The needles scratched over the paper, drawing tall peaks, but not raising high enough to indicate a lie. Landa's expression was rock hard. His brow suddenly became heavy and his mouth didn't twitch into a smile.

"She's nine." Landa's voice was hard and flat. Dead serious. Basta breathed a sigh of relief. Nine was too young. "Is nine old enough for your Capricorn?"

"No." No lie.

"Good" said Landa, his brow lightening. "So you believe that you swapped places with a child? Her into a book, and you into reality?" Well now it sounded stupid.

"I'm not sure."

"I have more questions to ask you, then you can return to your cell." Landa seemed completely bewildered, but composed himself well. Basta didn't even know what to think anymore. "Are those burn scars on your arms?"

"Yes." Basta felt anger bubble and rise from inside of him. He hated his arms. Hated them. But the only thing he hated more than his wretched scars was when strangers noticed them, and commented. Basta took the necessary precautions to keep people's attention away from the heinous scars. He always wore long sleeved shirts. But the tee-shirt that he had been issued by the German's didn't cover nearly enough skin. Plus, this new world was very hot, much warmer than the cool world of Lombrica. So even if he had been given long sleeves, he probably would have rolled them up to his elbows anyways.

"And how did you get these scars?" Landa was relentless.

"Fire. I burned them with fire." Basta was so angry that his jaw muscles twitched and tightened.

"On purpose?" Asked Landa, curious and innocent sounding.

"No. By accident." Basta was speaking through clenched teeth. This seemed to amuse the Colonel, who continued his questioning along the same tangent.

"Are you self destructive, Basta?"

"No!" But the lie detector test did in fact detect a lie. And Basta knew which lie the polygraph was able to sniff out: the time he'd tried to commit suicide.

"Don't lie to me, Basta" hissed Landa, squinting his nice eyes and fixing his mouth in a serious line. Basta gulped. The man before him was scary... his handsomeness and composure made him that much more imposing. Though Landa wasn't an incredibly large man (he didn't even break 6 feet), Basta knew that the colonel could beat him in a fight. Easily. Because it was then Basta remembered that his sword and knife were not with him. They had been left behind in Capricorn's room.

"I've tried to kill myself once." Basta thought Landa would chip on, asking more embarrassing questions. _Why? Why did you want to commit suicide? _But he didn't. He just locked eyes with Basta, then ditched his previous game of control and domination. He simply nodded, then changed the subject.

"So, I'm assuming that you're unaware of Europe's current political situation?"

"Correct."

"Alright, then. Let's end this test. You can return to your cell." Landa sighed deeply, then switched off the machine. He seemed to be somewhere else in his mind... a million miles away...

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! Also, sorry about all the typos. :O I try to avoid them... but, well... meh. You know what happens!**


	5. Chapter 5: Fräulein Ehrlichmann

Chapter 5: Fräulein Ehrlichmann

There was a problem.

Basta sat on his bed, a pile of books and papers around his feet. Atlases, encyclopaedias, and history books sat around his bed. He had a booklet spread open on his lap; words stared up at him from the manila paper.

"Read these" colonel Landa had said, carrying an apple crate full of books into the cell. "And you will understand why the world is at war."

Basta blinked helplessly at the papers on his lap. He couldn't read. And even if he could, he probably wouldn't _want _to read those papers anyways! He put the manila document aside and tapped his stocking foot in annoyance. The shock of his teleportation had more or less worn off, along with his temporary stall in temperament. Back in Lombica, Basta was feared. He had a reputation for being ruthless and vile, but all his usual ways had taken a backseat when he was at his most vulnerable. With disgust he realised that he had reminded himself of a lost puppy. Helpless, quiet... But not anymore! With a momentary feeling of hope, Basta told himself he would get back to his usual ways...

But all it took was another glance at the pile of atlases and documents for his knees to go weak and for a feeling of loneliness and helplessness come over him again. He realised, suddenly, as he looked around his big empty cell, that maybe he wasn't as tough as he thought he was. After all, where was he without his knife? Or his sword? He sighed deeply, and buried his face in his hands.

He stayed hunched over for a long while, relaxing in his pose, feeling his heart rate slow and his muscles ease. He didn't look up when a strange clipping and clopping sounds slowly made its way down the hallway. When the footsteps finally stopped, though, and Basta felt a presence, he slowly raised his head towards the bars of his cell.

Standing behind the bars, was the most beautiful woman Basta had ever seen.

She peered at him from between the bars, slender and glowing like an angel. Basta felt his mouth involuntarily parting as he and the woman stared at each other. Her angelic face was framed was chocolate brown curls that fell loosely around his shoulders. She had ruby red lips held together and puckered in the perfect shape. Even the way she stood, Basta noticed, exuded her femininity. He couldn't find the ability to speak. He just stared, drinking in her appearance, when finally she spoke.

"Is your name Basta?" She asked. Basta gulped. She too spoke in a German accent, and it was _beautiful_. He didn't speak for the longest while. But when she raised one of her narrow brown eyebrows, his mouth stumbled into action.

"Yes, yes it is. I'm Basta" he nodded hastily, and felt his hands shake ever so slightly. Women in Lombrica didn't look a thing like the woman before him now. The ladies where he came from carried extra weight around their entire bodies. Their eyebrows were generally thicker and shapeless, and their hair fell in ratty messes. But she... she was different.

"My name is Fräulein Ehrlichmann" she said, pronouncing her name in perfect, beautiful German. Basta's knees grew weak again...

"Hallo, Fräulein" he said.

"Ah, you know German?" She smiled slightly, and Basta's mind swam.

"No, I don't. Just that one word..." He bit his lip. The Fräulein's laughter filled the cell like a gentle birdsong.

"It's nice to meet you, Basta" she said.

"N-nice to meet you too." He cocked his head and cleared his throat, as if that would clear his voice of its waver.

"Is that the name you go by? Just Basta?" Fräulein Ehrlichmann asked as she curled his long, dainty fingers around the bars of the cell.

"Yes. Just Basta." His eyes flicked over the contours of her body. Her curves, an hourglass shape, filled her plum coloured dress as if it were made just for her. "Do you just go by Fräulein Ehrlichmann?" He asked timidly, eyeing the neckline on the Fräulein's dress. She raised her eyebrows at his question, cocking her head slightly. Basta stopped breathing. Had he done something wrong?

"I also go by Anna" She frowned, but she smiled slightly, making Basta's heart go pitter-pat. _Anna..._

"Fräulein Anna Ehrlichmann." He found it difficult to pronounce the name. When she said it, it sounded like _Air-lich-man_. When he said it, it sounded more along the lines of _Err-lichmen_. She giggled, her cheeks glowing pink.

"I came to meet you" she said, inching closer to the bars. Basta felt his throat tighten and he wanted nothing more than to approach her and touch her soft looking skin. "I've heard rumours..."

"Rumours?" Basta frowned, despite his urge to smile at the beautiful Fräulein.

"Ja. I heard that there was a British spy in the holding cell" Her eyes sparkled intensely. Basta gulped.

"I'm not a spy" he said. His throat tightened as Ehrlichmann paced up and down the wall of bars, her high heel shoes making the clip clop sound. She tossed her hair, and Basta felt his abs tightening a little too much...

"Riiight" she purred, pausing and running her hand down a bar. "And I'm not German..."

"You don't believe me?" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and bit his lip.

"No, I don't."

"H-how can I convince you?" Basta wasn't used to women interrogating him. Usually it was the other way around. He remembered all too clearly backing women up against walls, pressing his body against theirs, forcing himself on them. And oh how badly he wanted to push Fräulein Ehrlichmann up against a wall...

"We'll have to have a chit-chat" she said, staring at him from under long, sultry black lashes. Basta could barely contain himself. He was debating whether or not to get to his feet and approach the Fräulein through the bars, but the sound of footsteps from down the hall broke his thought process. The Fräulein's attention shot up the hall, and suddenly the smile on her face died. "Hallo, Lieben" she said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. Basta could see that she looked extremely nervous all of a sudden. Colonel Hans Landa's voice accompanied her greeting.

"_Was tun Sie, Fräulein?_" His tone was almost scolding. Basta had no clue what he had said, but by the way Anna stumbled her speech, Basta knew it wasn't good.

"Uhh... I was meeting our new friend" she said, her eyes flicking over to Basta. Landa was now beside the Fräulein, wearing his spiffy uniform and looking slightly annoyed. He put his face in towards his neck, and murmured something in her ear. Basta shook and grew rigid with jealousy. Landa's lips _must _have brushed Anna's skin! The worst part, he noticed, was when Anna just closed her eyes and turned her face towards Landa's head. Basta's eyes narrowed. He knew the beautiful miss was inhaling Landa's nice scent. Basta's jaw squared and twitched. The two continued to exchange words, when finally Landa pulled apart, and Ehrlichmann smiled.

"Basta!" He said, sounding perfectly content.

"What?" Growled Basta. He felt his temper rising in his chest. Landa seemed unaware of his foul mood.

"I see you've met young Miss Ehrlichmann!"

"Yes" Basta raised his eyebrows, and looked towards the gorgeous young lady. She must have been close to twenty one years old, if not less.

"She works in the lobby as a receptionist. She's very quite nice." He smiled. "But I'm sorry that she's pestered you. You won't have to worry about her bothering you again!" Landa turned his masculine chin towards the young lady, who bowed her head in shame.

"Oh..?" Basta frowned. "She wasn't getting on my nerves."

"In any case, you won't have to worry about her. She tends to be a little high strung." Landa smiled, rose up on his toes, then dropped back down with a little clack. Basta sighed.

"What can I do for you?" he asked through grit teeth. He wanted Landa to go away.

"I just wanted to see how your reading was coming along." Said Landa, raising an eyebrow and nodding towards the stacks of books.

"Oh..." Basta felt his throat tighten. The reading...

"Oh?" Landa made a face.

"I uh..." he didn't want to confess in front of Anna.

"What's the problem?"

"I uh... I..."

"COLONEL!" Everyone jumped as someone called for Landa from down the hallway. "Colonel, Landa!" Landa sighed.

"One moment" he said, before walking off at a brisk pace, to see what the commotion was about. Basta was left alone with Anna! Yes!

"What's the matter?" She asked, looking at Basta with curious eyes.

"I...I can't read."

"You can't?" Fräulein Ehrlichmann seemed legitimately surprised.

"I was never taught."

"So you haven't read any of these papers?"

"No." Basta was embarrassed.

"Well that's not good..." Ehrlichmann bit her bottom lip. "Not good at all."

"Landa will be upset" muttered Basta.

"Yes, yes he will. I'll tell you what..." Anna looked around for a moment before pressing herself against the bars. She beckoned Basta over. The young man felt his heart drum in his throat as he rose to his feet. It took plenty of effort for him to keep his eyes away from her bust as he walked over to her. Once he was close, he could see that she had beautiful olive green eyes... and she smelled... amazing... "I can teach you. I can fill you in on everything you need to know." The way she was speaking, low under her breath, and the way she held her eyebrows, Basta felt that he was supposed to understand something... "Sound good?" She whispered he breath on his cheek. He felt his skin prickle and he managed to nod.

"Yes" he breathed, his eyelids drooping and his heart pounding.

"I'll come by later tonight, then" she said, then backed away from the bars. Basta stumbled backwards, landed on his ass on the bed. Anna winked, then Landa came in front of the cell again. Basta couldn't help but smirk.

**A/N: OOOHHH! Sexual Tension! **

**I really appreciate those reviews. "Basta's Girl", I really appreciate the feedback. (Like. A lot). **

**Keep 'em coming! (Now that there's a plot developing... sigh). **


	6. Chapter 6: The First secret meeting

Chapter 6: The First secret meeting with Fräulein Ehrlichmann

Basta paced the warm, smooth concrete floor of his cell while adjusting his white shirt. His stocking feet padded silently over the floor, allowing him to creep silently like a cat. Although his footsteps were silent, his heart pounded loudly in his chest. He could feel it slugging against his ribcage, and his stomach felt hot with butterflies. There was an analog clock on the wall across from his cell, but Basta did not know how to tell time. Since there were no windows either, he couldn't be sure if it was dark outside or not. So he continued to pace, navigating around and over the piles of books and sheets. Eventually, though, his legs grew tired and his heart stopped pounding, so he collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Basta dozed off, and woke with a start when the sound of the clipping high heels came through the hallway. Basta quickly sat upright, wiped drool from his mouth and tried to fix his hair. Fräulein Ehrlichmann crept up to the bars, and peered into the cell.

"Basta" she said, rather quietly.

"Yes, Fräulein?" He tried to act nonchalant, as if he didn't really care for her company one way or the other. She looked up and down the hallway before sliding a key into the lock. Basta licked his lips. Anna was still wearing her plum coloured dress, but she'd pulled her hair up into a bun. Strands of dark, wavy hair fell from the bun and framed her flawless face.

"How are you this evening?" She asked, sliding the door shut and slipping the key into her... cleavage!

"I-I-I'm fine... how about you?" Basta's eyes widened as he eyed the woman's 34 B's. Women in Lombrica generally carried much larger busts- a compliment to their plumper bodies. But Basta didn't mind that Anna's breasts were slightly smaller- they were in perfect proportion to her hips and wasp waist.

"I am well, thank you." Anna looked for a place to sit down. Basta hastily offered her a seat on his bed.

"What time is it?" He asked. She sat beside him, and his stomach twisted and grew hot again. His abdominal muscles tightened and he felt his pulse quickening. If Landa had him hooked up to a polygraph test, the needles probably would have jumped off the page. Anna was leafing through one of the manila documents.

"Err..." she began to speak, then impatiently motioned up to the clock on the wall. "There's a clock" she said. Basta felt his cheeks grow hot from embarrassment.

"I can't read it." He muttered. Anna sighed impatiently, glanced up and squinted her eyes.

"Its 11" she said.

"Thanks" Basta looked at the clock, trying to figure how it meant 11.

"What is this?" Asked Anna, slapping the paper on her thigh. "Why is he making you read about the war?"

"Because I don't know what's going on" he said, staring deep into Anna's green eyes. She frowned.

"I know you're a British spy. You don't have to keep up the charade around me" she said. Her gaze was intense.

"But I'm not a spy!"

"You don't have to lie to me, Basta." She looked as if she wanted to say more, but held back. Basta knew that she was losing trust in him.

"I'm not lying" he hissed. Anna narrowed her eyes.

"Landa didn't say much about you" she murmured, more to herself.

"What did he say?"

"That you weren't from here." She twisted her mouth. "This is obvious, with that accent of yours."

_Anna and Landa speak with a German accent, and apparently I speak with a British accent... interesting..._ Basta thought to himself as his eyes flicked over Anna's face.

"Are you and Landa..." _together? _He didn't dare utter the last word.

"Ja." Anna nodded. "We are." She spoke quickly and avoided Basta's gaze.

"Oh." Basta's stomach dropped to the floor and he felt his face heat up. His blood ran thickly through his stomach, like syrup, and he felt his heart pound painfully. "Of course."

"So, are you going to tell me or not?"

"Huh? Tell you what?" Basta frowned in confusion. He found it hard to concentrate after that blow...

"Whether or not you're a _spy!_" Anna's eyes widened and she hissed the last word. Basta gulped.

"Why...why should I trust you?" He shook his head slightly, his temper acting like a protective barrier between him and Anna; protecting him from further heartache. This line got her attention. She sat upright, her eyes fixed on his face. Then she smiled. She nodded slightly before cocking her head and parting her lips.

"You and I" she began leaning in close to him- "need to be honest with each other." Her sweet smelling breath tickled Basta's lips, and he felt himself growing hot and bothered again. He shifted uncomfortably, resisting every urge to throw her on her back and over take her. Or, more gently, lean in and kiss her lips. Both were tempting notions.

"I'm perfectly fine with that" he stammered. "So, are you working for the British?" He didn't know why he asked the question. Probably because it had been thrown at him so many times. Are you a British spy? Are you working for the British? British this, British that! Blah, blah, blah!

"No" she said, looking around. She seemed nervous. "I'm not." Then she straightened. "I'm asking you the questions!"

"Ok, then ask me a question." His eyes dropped into her cleavage.

"Are you working for the British?"

"No."

"What? Are you sure?" She narrowed her eyes. "Is this because you don't trust me?" She seemed annoyed, which flustered Basta. _What does she want me to say? I know she wants me to say something! _

"The truth is, Anna... I have no idea what's going on here."

"I heard that you magically appeared in a German soldier's bedroom while he was reading to his daughter. Who is missing, by the way." Anna narrowed her eyes and stared at Basta.

"I'm not sure how I got here" he said.

"Lies!"

"I'm telling the truth! Landa gave me a-a polygraph test! I'm telling the truth and he knows it. That's why he gave me all these books to read, so I can learn what the hell is going in this strange place!" Basta's face grew red as he explained himself. Anna looked both disgusted and confused.

"He gave you a polygraph test?"

"Yes, yes... it's a lie detector test."

"I know what it is" she hissed. "That means he kept a record of it..."

"I saw where he put it" said Basta, growing excited. "In a filing cabinet in his office." Anna narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"He has many filing cabinets"

"Yes, but I remember exactly which one."

"Could you show me?"

"Of course!" She contemplated for several moments before nodding slowly.

"Alright" she said. "I need to be absolutely sure about this." She nodded, as if to assure herself. "Alright, stuff you're bed. We're going to Landa's office." She got to her feet, and Basta followed her with his eyes. She had such a nice bottom... "Get up, we don't have all night." Basta hopped to his feet, and watched as Anna bent over, stuffing books and the pillow under the blankets. "Well, help me!" She hissed impatiently, and Basta jumped. He quickly joined her, making it look as if a body was sleeping under the green blankets. "You are one distracted guy" she said, smiling a bit. Basta's face lit up and he smiled too. But he didn't know how to answer, so he just shrugged. Anna laughed, then took the keys from her bra. Basta gulped, and he felt his army fatigues growing tight around his belt region. He clenched his jaw in frustration, averted his gaze to the ceiling and tried to control his breathing. A bead of sweat dripped from his temple down the length of his smooth face. Anna jogged over to the gate, and Basta followed slowly. He didn't want her to notice his obvious excitement. She slid the gate open, peered up the hallway, and motioned for Basta to follow her. She closed and locked the door, then led the way up to Landa's office.

The building was much more different at this hour. The windows were black with the surrounding darkness, and only a few lights were left on in the lobby. Basta watched Anna's butt as they walked up the stairs, she a few steps in front of him. When they got to the hallway with the many doors, Basta couldn't remember which was Landa's. Anna, on the other hand, knew where she was going. She produced another key, from her bra as well, and unlocked the door. Basta followed Anna into the gaping darkness, and heard the door click shut behind her. Then a light was flicked on, and he could see the young woman standing next to the wall, quivering nervously.

"Alright, hurry up" she said. "Which filing cabinet?"

Basta glanced around the familiar office, and located the filing cabinet that rested against the wall opposite the oak desk.

"This one" he said, poking the drawer in which the document was stored. He had seen Landa put the file in there before prodding him out of the office.

"Oh shoot, it's locked." Anna cursed under her breath as she examined the little lock on the drawer.

"Do you have another key in there?" asked Basta, chuckling to himself. Anna cast him an un-amused look.

"No, I only have your cell key, the building key and the office key." She twisted her mouth before pulling a pin from her hair. A lock fell down the side of her face, and brushed her ear. Basta made an involuntary little sigh. She bent the wire pin, and prodded it into the lock. She glanced nervously towards the door before twisting her tool and cursing under her breath. Basta's eyes wandered all over her body, and he licked his lips. "Got it!" She smiled triumphantly when she was finally able to pull the drawer open. She peered inside, and thumbed through a number of manila folders. She pressed his lips together, as she pulled a folder with a red stamp on the front. **CONFIDENTIAL/** _**VERTRAULICH!**_Anna opened the folder, and her eyes scanned the writing inside. She flipped through the pages, obviously speed reading, and her eyebrows raised a number of times in surprise. Then she started frowning. Then raising her eyebrows. Then frowning again. Her lips parted in a perfect 'O', and she looked up at Basta, frowning again. He raised his eyebrows at her, in a surprised question. He was just about to ask her what was wrong, when the sound of footsteps from outside the door made both Anna and Basta freeze. Her eyes widened like saucers, and she quickly shut the folder.

"_Hiiiiiide!" _She hissed, looking absolutely terrified. Basta looked around the room for a hiding place. Anna had replaced the folder when the sound of a lock being turned caught their attention. She looked at Basta in horror, before his leapt under a low table, laying on his back, holding his breath. He heard the filing cabinet being shut, just as the door handle clicked open. Anna scrambled into plain view- much to Basta's horror. _WHAT ARE YOU DOING? _He mentally screamed. But Anna took her hair out of its bun, allowing it to tumble down her shoulders, just as the door opened.

"Anna?" Landa's voice was surprised, and perhaps slightly irritated.

"Hans, _Lieben_" she purred. Basta could see the bottom half of her knee length dress, and her Swiss dot stockings from his vantage. The sound of Landa's footsteps seemed so much louder from Basta's pose on the oak floor.

"What are you doing here at this hour, Fräulein?"

"I wanted to surprise you" she said, cocking a leg. Basta felt his face grow hot. What would happen if Landa found him under the table?

"Why do I suspect otherwise, Fräulein Ehrlichmann?"

"Oh, Hans! You embarrass me!" her voice was relatively calm, but wavered slightly. Landa's footsteps approached, and Basta could see the green material of Landa's pants, and his nice shoes as he stood before Anna.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me, Anna?"

"No" she said, and her leg brushed up against Landa's. Basta frowned.

"How did you get into my office?" He asked, the suspicion still plain in his usually cheerful voice.

"I asked the caretaker to let me in, Lieben." He high heeled foot came in behind his ankle, pulling him closer to her. He extended a leg, allowing her to straddle it. The two bodies pressed together and Basta felt angry that he was forced to watch.

"Though I am pleased with your surprise" he began, sliding a strong, sinuous hand up her thigh- "please do not enter my office again without my permission."

"Yes, Colonel" she said, her voice taking on a submissive tone. Landa's hand brushed further up her thigh, lifting the hem of the dress up to reveal a lacy stocking thigh-high. Basta felt his throat tighten, and for a moment he forgot his jealousy. He even wished Landa would lift the dress higher, so Basta could see what sort of strange 20th century undergarments Anna was wearing. The man's hand clenched around her thigh, squeezing the skin, pressing his body closer against hers. Anna did her part by further straddling his leg. Basta could hear her moaning very quietly, and the occasional sucking noise as they kissed. Basta was sweating, and his bangs started to stick to his forehead. He clenched his hands around the fabric of his tee shirt, and he couldn't decide if he liked what he was seeing or not. Landa's large hand slid around from her thigh to her butt, but the dress fell around his wrist, blocking Basta's view of what he was doing. Then Landa raised both hands to Anna's waist, and he picked her up effortlessly, Basta could see more of the bodies as Landa backed up to the desk, and sat on the chair, Anna on his lap. For a moment Basta was terrified that Landa would be able to see him, but relaxed slightly when Anna's body obstructed Basta's view of Landa. They kissed for a few more moments, then Landa put his hands under Anna's dress. He slid his arms up, taking most of the dress with him. Basta gulped as more and more of the young woman's skin became visible to him. She was wearing a lacy black thong, connected to her thigh highs with garters. Basta grew faint at the sight of her almost completely unclothed body. But when Landa's hands began lifting the dress up further, Basta panicked. The keys in Anna's bra! He nearly sighed in relief when she realised this, too.

"Oh, Hans" she moaned, sitting back a bit. "I think we should stop here"

"Why?" asked Landa, his voice slightly husky. It took on a tone Basta had never heard him use before: disappointment?

"I-I would like to go back to your bedroom, where I can freshen up, darling." She began retreating from the man's lap, and the dress fell back into place. Landa sat up, sighed, and murmured something Basta couldn't hear. Footsteps clopped on the floor, a light was flicked off, a door clicked shut, and Basta was left alone in total silence.

He stared into the blackness of the empty office, utterly ashamed of the swelling in his pants. While, at the same time, he fumed over his jealousy. That Landa! What a lucky bastard he was. Several minutes dragged by before Basta managed to crawl out from under the desk and creep over to the door. He opened it very slowly, slipped out, and closed it behind him. He advanced through the hallway cautiously, terrified that he would run into the Colonel at any moment. With his heart pounding in his throat, he managed to creep back to his cell, his socks padding silently on the marble floor. With a sigh of relief, he went to open the cell door, only to find that it was locked.


	7. Chapter 7: Escape into the night

Chapter 7: Escape into the night

Basta's heart stopped beating, and he found it nearly impossible to breathe.

_I'm locked outside my cell. I'm locked outside my cell. Oh my god... I'm locked outside my cell!_

Basta's mind swam. He was utterly terrified of being caught outside of where he was supposed to be. He needed to get back inside, before he was caught, before he was punished...

A cold shiver ran down Basta's spine as he thought of all the punishments Capricorn had bestowed upon him when he'd done something relatively bad. And this... this was terrible. He was clearly disobeying rules and the punishments, he figured, would be severe. He quickly made a decision to follow Fräulein Ehrlichmann and Colonel Landa and somehow steal the keys. He would do anything- _anything- _to avoid punishment. Capricorn's abuse had left too many scars, both physical and emotional, to be healed. Basta didn't want any more scars; especially since he had the chance to start over, away from his former master. With a start, Basta took a few deep breaths, and jogged away from his cell. In the lobby, he found a window left propped open with a fountain pen. With a grin, he hauled himself up to the sill, and climbed through, bumping it shut with his head by accident. He cursed to himself before landing on his feet on the sidewalk below. The night was cold and moist, filling Basta's lungs. He felt his nostrils widen as a low breeze whispered up the street, ruffling his damp hair. He jogged up the street and around the corner, straining his eyes in the dark to see Ehrlichmann and Landa. When he couldn't see them, he felt his heart pound. He looked up and down the street, and as his eyes began adjusting to the dark, he became startled by the strangeness of the new city. Buildings several stories tall huddled together along the clean street. Golden lights illuminated some windows. Basta's head snapped from left to right as he looked up and down the street. The cool air tickled his skin, and he felt his stomach fill with butterflies. _Should I turn right or left? _But the sound of laughter caught his attention. Anna's laugh was faint and distant, lost in the night, but most definitely coming from Basta's left. He began running up the sidewalk, his socks soaking through from the dampness on the sidewalks. He ran past a few street lights, illuminating part of the street in a faint orange-y light. And as he continued to run, he could see two figures walking hand in hand up the street. The woman wearing the man's long leather over coat. _Landa's_ long leather over coat. Bingo! Basta kept fifty meters behind them, as he skulked up the sidewalk. The thought of Landa turning and noticing him made Basta's heart patter too quickly. He kept his breathing level and followed silently. The couple turned right, crossing the empty street, and onto another sidewalk. Basta followed swiftly, walking as close to the buildings as he could, to keep out of sight in case Landa turned suddenly. As he became more comfortable, following the two block to block, he had time to let his mind wander. Of course he thought of the incident in Landa's office. Before, he had wondered if he'd liked what he'd seen. He realised, as the couple turned right, that he didn't like it, not one bit. Basta was every bit jealous. His mind briefly flicked back to Roxanne, the woman he fancied back at home. She was an entertainer from Ombra, a singer, dancer, and courtesan. He thought of Roxanne's black hair. In Ombra, her hair was considered luscious. It was thick, and extremely voluminous. Black and hanging down past her shoulders. In comparison to Anna's espresso loops, Roxanne's hair may as well have been a mangy wolf pelt stuck to her head. And the body types... Basta felt himself roll his eyes. Roxanne's body type was desirable in Ombra and Lombrica. Men would ogle at the enormous bust she carried over her soft belly. Basta himself had been guilty of desiring to touch her soft skin and squeeze her body... but after seeing Anna's trim and fit body, he realised that he really didn't like the extra fat on Roxanne, not at all. Instead, he wanted to explore Anna's body.

"Damn!" He'd lost sight of them. Basta scolded himself for not paying attention. He jogged forth, until he saw a taller building with fine glass doors. Bright, golden light spilled from inside. Anna and Landa were inside, hand in hand. Basta grit his teeth. The couple walked towards a strange looking closet, with numbers on top. Just before the door closed, Basta peered into the door, catching Anna's eye. He knew she saw him, because suddenly she jumped and stood rigidly. The doors closed. Basta barged into the lobby, and saw the number on top of the odd closet change to 2. There were buttons beside the strange closet doors. Basta pressed the button, and jumped in horror when the doors opened. But Anna and Hans weren't in it! Basta walked inside the strange cupboard, and the doors closed. His breathing quickened as he peered around inside the small room. He didn't see another door... where the hell did the couple go? There was a panel of buttons with numbers on them. Nervously, Basta pressed the number 2. Suddenly the strange room lurched upwards. Basta's knees buckled and he fell on his ass. He let out a little scream as he felt extremely nauseous. The strange closet continued to rise, and just when Basta thought he would puke, he heard a _Bing! _And the doors opened. Before him was another hallway.

_Have I time traveled again?_ He wondered, nervously stepping out of the closet. He walked, very slowly down the hallway. He looked at all the doors, wondering which one Anna was in. Room number 212 had a paper sign on the handle that said: Bitte Nicht stören/ Do Not Disturb. Basta didn't understand the words, but it was the only sign written in red. All the other rooms either didn't have a sign or said something different. Basta remembered how the windows looked on the outside of the building. He tried to open the door next to Anna's room, and grumbled when he realised it was locked. After sighing, he kicked the door handle. He heard something break, and tried to open the door again. It opened up without resistance. He crept through the dark room, inching towards the window at the back. He peered at the bed, when there was no one sleeping in it; he opened the window and peered outside. Anna's window was quite a distance away, but soft light came from it. Then he made a risky decision. He hopped up on the window sill, and with his heart in his throat, took a leap. For a moment, Basta felt as though he was caught in suspended animation. The world around him stood still, and the cool air whipped past his face. Then he felt the next window sill under his stocking feet. He almost yelled out in terror before he pressed himself against the window. His heart pounded and he thanked the lord that the curtain was closed.

_Now what?_ He thought, looking down at the narrow window sill. The window was slightly open, and the curtains rustled. He dropped into a crouch, and peered inside. Landa was nowhere inside, but Anna was spread out on the bed, wearing her undergarments... _only_ her undergarments. Without really thinking, Basta slipped into the room through the crack in the window. He was so quiet, that Anna didn't stir. Basta was rooted to the spot, staring at his skinny, perfect body. Her hips swelled over her thong, and her breasts were full in her bra. Finally, though, she sensed his presence. She nearly screamed, but stopped herself. Her head snapped to the left, then back to Basta. She leapt to her feet, and ran over to Basta.

"What are you doing?" she hissed under her breath. "Landa will be here any moment!"

"I need the key!" He whispered, his eyes involuntarily looking down at her body. She slapped his cheek, lightly, but it still got his attention.

"I put it in my makeup case in the washroom" she whispered fiercely. Basta made a move to go in that direction, but she held onto his arm "Landa is in the washroom!"

"What do I do?" he hissed, frowning.

"Hide in the closet, you idiot!"

"Anna" called Landa from the adjacent room.

"Yes, Lieben?" She called, her voice wavering.

"Are you talking to someone?"

"No, Darling. Just humming."

"What's he doing?" asked Basta, frowning in disgust.

"He's shaving!" hissed Anna. She looked terribly angry. Basta had no idea why Landa was shaving at midnight, but he knew he had to get out of there fast. Anna thrust her pointed finger in the direction of the closet. She leaned into him, her skin touching his clothes, and hissed in his ear: "I am terribly sick of this! This is embarrassing to me" she seemed very flustered, so Basta began moving towards the window. But Landa's footsteps made him hesitate. Anna kicked his ass, sending him running to the closet. She closed the door behind him, and he was momentarily bathed in darkness. Light shone through the slats of the closet door, and he was able to see through. He felt angry that he would have the temptation to watch again. He chose not to, in case he got too jealous. Anna returned to the bed, laying down, stretching out her body. Basta turned his head away, hugged his knees to his chest. He heard Landa approach, so he buried his face in his knees. Time passed. He heard the rustle of clothing, moaning... it drove him insane. He stole a peek through the slats, saw two naked bodies. Landa moving rhythmically over Anna's. He wanted to cry out in frustration when he heard Anna's moans and cried. Landa was silent for the longest while, not uttering a sound, but he eventually burst out yelling. Basta ground his face into his knees, the pressure so strong on his eyes he thought they would pop into his head. He wanted to scream at Landa to stop climaxing so loudly. Several minutes later, the lights flicked off. Basta was bathed in complete darkness. It took even longer for him to hear the soft snores of someone sleeping. By then his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the room outside was dim blue. He saw someone roll over in bed, and then Anna hopped out... stark naked. She jogged over to the end of the bed and pulled on a housecoat. Basta's eyes followed her as she came to the closet, and opened it. He looked up at the woman, his mouth open and hair messy. She pressed a finger to her lips then motioned for him to exit the closet. Her hair was a mess, and Basta found her even more attractive. He wanted her... that much more... She led him to the bathroom. He stood in the doorway as she rummaged frantically through a small case. She reappeared in front of him, standing close.

"Here is your key" she whispered. "We need to have a chat" she pressed the key into his hand. Basta just nodded, feeling dejected, and left the hotel room. Basta padded down the hallway, putting the key in his pocket. His heart pounded in slow, hard beats. His stomach felt as if someone had placed a great deal of heavy rocks in it, as it sank heavily. Damn that Landa! Basta grumbled to himself as he walked back to the strange teleportation closets (which he later learned were called elevators, or in German: _Aufzug_). He got in one, took a deep breath, and pressed the button that said: 1. the elevator dropped, and Basta felt his stomach fly up into his chest. When the doors opened, Basta gasped in shock when he realised that he wasn't looking at the lobby, but another hallway with doors! Frantically, Basta looked back down at the control pad. Terror set in when he realised that he was completely lost! Where in the world was he? Had he time traveled? After hyperventilating, Basta managed to compose himself somewhat. He decided to press every button, and walk out when he saw the lobby. Shakily, he pressed every button, then lay on his belly on the floor of the elevator. As the elevator rose, he did a spread eagle, hoping to avoid nausea. The elevator doors opened at several different hallways, but none of which were the lobby. When the elevator made it's decent, though, Basta saw the lobby ahead. He quickly jumped out of the elevator, and ran like a mad man from the hotel. When he exited the building, though, and found himself outside, a sinking feeling came over him once again. _Holy shit, I'm lost_.

"What have I done?" He asked himself, glancing up and down the street. His body shook as he shivered. The warm sweat on his skin suddenly cooled and dried, and his skin prickled. He just realised how sweaty he'd been in that closet, and now that his tee-shirt had stuck to his skin, he was feeling very cold and miserable. And he just stood there, for a very long time. Staring up the street and holding his arms against his chest, shivering violently. And then it almost happened... a sob! Yes, a sob almost, almost escaped his throat. He felt his nose tickling and a lump rising in his throat. Oh how lost he felt, alone in this big new world, with nothing familiar. He didn't even see any horses! Just as a tear was ready to escape his eye, the door to the hotel opened behind him, and Anna's soft voice caught his attention.

"Basta?" She sounded distressed and apologetic. A strange mix, one that Basta had never heard before. He turned, slowly, after wiping the tear from his eyelashes.

"Anna?"

"Oh, I'm sorry for leaving you" she said, jogging towards him. "That was wrong of me to do, and I apologize." Her hair was still a mess, and rustled in the breeze. She clutched her fur coat around her body, and swept a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Don't be sorry" murmured Basta, resuming his self-hug position. He was still very cold.

"Oh you poor thing, you look freezing." Anna frowned gravely. "I'll show you back to your building." Basta just nodded and followed his shorter companion up the street. They walked in silence for several minutes, before Anna finally spoke. "I read that document in Landa's office" she said timidly, glancing at Basta's profile. "It says that you... traveled through time..." Her tone was incredulous.

"I told you I have no clue what's going on" he murmured, his teeth chattering. He pulled the collar of his shirt away from his throat, hoping to peel the stuck fabric away from his skin.

"Is it true?" She asked.

"That I time traveled?" He glanced down at her, and she nodded. "Yes, it's true."

"How did you do it?"

"I have no idea. To be honest with you, I think... I think I came out of a book."

"That's ridiculous" murmured Anna. "I mean... it's impossible!"

"I suppose" Basta closed his mouth and allowed himself to stew in his own misery. Anna spoke again.

"What book?"

"I have no idea, I can't read."

Silence.

"So you really aren't British?"

"No. And what's the big deal with that anyways?"

"Basta, Germany is at war with most of the world."

"With the British?"

"Yes and many more countries."

"Is that why Landa gave me all those atlases?"

"Yes... he's going to try to brainwash you" she added under her breath. "I need to teach you what is really going on. Landa will tell you nothing but lies or variations of the truth..."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because! Germany is the bad guy here, and Landa doesn't want you to know that."

"But you're German, why would talk poorly about your country?" Basta couldn't fathom what he was being told. None of it made sense. When Anna didn't answer, Basta thought about the whole British thing again. "Why British? Why does everyone I talk to ask if I'm British? I don't even know what British is!"

"You speak with a British accent" she said.

"Do I?" Basta raised an eyebrow. He'd been told that before- by the Germans- but Anna saying so made it a fact.

"Yes, a northern British accent, to my knowledge."

"But I'm not-"

"I know, I know." Anna shook her head. "We'll talk tomorrow night." Basta resisted a grin. _Yes! She doesn't completely hate me!_

"Same time?" He asked, remembering the clock on the wall. "Eleven?"

"Maybe. I'll come out when I can." Anna sighed. "Oh, I'm shaking like a leaf." She stopped at a corner, and pulled something out of her purse. Basta watched curiously as she pulled a paper package from her bag. "Smoke?" she asked.

"Err... sure?" Basta frowned. What did she mean? Anna popped a long white stick into her mouth, and held one out for him. He nervously took it, and put it in his mouth like Anna did. She struck a match, making Basta retreat in terror.

"What's wrong?" She asked, frowning at him. Basta glared at her. She hadn't commented on his burn scars. Maybe she hadn't seen them?

"Fire" he said, backing away.

"Yeah?" Anna frowned, then lit the end of her stick. "Sorry to surprise you. Here." She brought the flickering match towards his face. Basta stiffened and closed his eyes. The end of the white paper stick was on fire! Anna coughed a little, but sucked back the smoke then exhaled. She wasn't watching Basta, her eyes were elsewhere. So... he inhaled. Basta coughed and sputtered. He buckled over as he coughed, but when his convulsions subsided, he heard Anna's laughter. "You've never smoked before?" She asked, chuckling.

"No!" He coughed.

"I don't usually smoke" she said, exhaling a little cloud of smoke "only about three times before." She shrugged and took another long breath in. "It helps me to _relax_." The way she said relax made Basta shiver. He took in a mouthful of smoke, and didn't cough. He felt his fingertip and arms detach almost. He felt calm. And then he smiled. Smoking was...nice... "I see that smile" she said, her voice teasing and nice. Basta smiled bigger, and took in another breath.

"I like it" he said, though his voice was a bit husky. "What is this?"

"A cigarette" she said. And he didn't feel cold anymore.

"I uh... I didn't watch..." he said awkwardly, after taking a drag. He coughed a little.

"Me and... me and Landa?"

"Yeah, I didn't watch." He felt his cheeks heating up.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that... twice." Anna coughed too.

"You're very smooth. I mean, you handled it smoothly. Very smoothly. Good for you." Basta watched his toes as the cigarette burned down. Anna made a little sound- almost a squeak- before speaking.

"I don't love him" she said.

"Then why do you..."

"We'll talk about it later" she said. "It's been a long day. Let's get your home." She took one last drag on her cigarette before dropping it to the concrete, and snubbing it with her shoe. Basta copied her, then followed her back to the building where he was being held prisoner. "I'll come by later tomorrow. Or whenever I can" she murmured, unlocking his cell for him. Basta just nodded, and plodded across to his bed, which was stuffed with the pillow and a number of text books. "Good night" said Anna, closing the gate.

"Good Night" replied Basta. 

**A/N: I owe all of you patient readers a big apology! After a hint from "Basta's Girl", I checked the last couple chapters I wrote, and to my horror noticed a great deal of spelling mistakes, typos and poor sentence structure. AARGG! I'm sorry, guys! I type my chapters a mile a minute in the middle of the night, usually while eating a McCain thin crust pizza or while texting my not boyfriend. So you can imagine how a few errors can squeak through. I've even written part of a chapter while I was drunk, which was really only an improvement after the time I did a Mathematics Assignment while I was smashed (100percent for the win!). Anyways, "Basta's Girl", you're the best! Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! Review, Liebens!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth about Anna

Chapter 8: The Truth about Anna

Basta awoke the next morning with the chills. His shirt smelled like sweat, and his hair was dirty. He climbed out of bed, and saw that his socks were black on the souls. He didn't have to sit around for long, though, because a man in white clothes came down the hallway and stopped before Basta's cell.

"Laundry" he said, looking bored and un-amused.

"Oh" Basta peeled off his socks as the laundry man entered the cell. The man put a pile of clean clothes identical to the ones that Basta was wearing on the bed, and turned around as Basta stripped out of his clothes. He quickly pulled on the black undershorts before putting the dirty laundry in the man's arms.

"I'm also here to inform you that an escort will be here shortly to show you to the showers.

"Thanks" muttered Basta. He decided to not pull on his clean clothes just yet. He sat on the edge of the bed, skin prickled and cold, despite the warmness of the room. It took only a few minutes for a guard in a Nazi uniform (Basta came to recognize them by the red band with a white symbol that they wore around the bicep). He came and handcuffed Basta before helping him carry his clothes. They turned left down the hallway (to the right was the lobby), and walked past two more cells identical to Basta's before coming into a different room. The floor and walls were made of the same, greenish tiles the color of toothpaste. There was a wooden bench resting against the far wall, and a coat hanger above it.

"Showers behind that door, ja." Said the soldier, pointing at a door ahead of them. "No funny business." He placed Basta's clothes on the bench, before taking off the handcuffs. "Soap in shower. I'll be waiting." He passed Basta towel from the bench. Basta took it, and disappeared into the next room. The showers were unlike anything Basta had ever seen. There were no tubs, just faucets placed about six feet above circular drains. Basta nervously stepped out of his shorts, and walked over to a shower. There was a gauge on the wall. The letter _**F**_ was written on the right side in blue, and _**C **_on the left, in red. Not knowing what to do, Basta turned the handle to the left, all the way. Water spurt from the faucet above his head, covering him in comfortable water. But soon, the stream quickly emitted steam and the water became scalding. He cried out and jumped away.

"HEAVENS!" He cried, his voice echoing in the tiled room. Basta watched as steam clouded from the faucet. He carefully inched around the stream of water, and cranked the handle to the other side, all the way to _**F**_. The steam soon disappeared, so he stepped underneath, only to cry out once more and jump away from the icy cold stream. He slipped in a puddle on the slick tiles, and fell naked to the floor. Cursing to himself, he rose to his feet, shivering, and re-approached the handle. He put it halfway between _**C **_and_** F**_ and cautiously stepped under the water. Just right! He smiled to himself as he stood under the warm flow. He looked around the room and saw two bottles and a bar of soap on a stool near the door. He quickly darted to the store, took a bottle and the soap, and retreated back to his heavenly cocoon of warm water. Once he got comfortable, he turned the handle to the hot direction, _**C**_, ever so slightly. The water ran warmer, much to Basta's content. He took the bar of soap, which smelled _amazing _and rubbed it all over his chest. It bubbled and foamed, and covered his chest with sudsy lather. Basta moved the bar down to the faint lines of his subtle six pack abs, then all over his arms, legs and shoulders. He even lathered it in his hands, and used the bubbles to wash his face. He lathered up a second time, just for fun. Basta enjoyed being clean. When he was done with the soap, he put it on the floor and picked up the bottle. On the front the rectangular shaped bottle, the words _**Shampooing Pour Hommes/Schamponieren Fur Man**_ was written in curly font. Basta didn't understand the words anyways, so he squirted some of the thick, gel like liquid into his palm. He figured this substance was for his hair. He lathered it into his dark brown, almost black hair. He liked the smell, it was rather similar to Colonel Landa's scent. The new product was much sudsier than the soap. After he was washed and clean, Basta turned off the water, and wrapped his lower half in the towel. He shook the excess water from his hair, making it stick up crazily. He exited the warm, steamy shower room, and cleared his throat. The guard had a magazine on his lap, and from what Basta could see, the magazine was featuring a scandalously dressed woman on the cover.

"Uhhmm... my clothes" he shook his head and reached for the pile of clothes.

"I'll be back in forty seconds" said the guard with a sigh. He left the room, magazine in hand. Basta quickly dried off his legs before pulling on the black undershorts. Then he pulled on his clean socks, fatigues, and just as he was pulling the tee shirt over his head, the guard came back in. "Alright, let's go" said the German. He cuffed Basta's arms again, and prodded him down the hallway, back to his cell. After he was un cuffed, Basta sat on his bed, bored and alone.

Basta awoke a few hours later to the sound of Landa's voice outside his cell. He opened his eyes, groaned and turned to look at the man. Landa was holding a box the size of a large book under his arm.

"What?" growled Basta, feeling jealous of the soldier.

"I wanted to know how your reading was coming along." Said Landa, smiling that big smile of his... Basta frowned.

"I'm uh, I'm a very slow reader" he lied, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"At least you're reading!" Landa smiled, then unlocked the cell. "I have brought something for you, as I can imagine you must be very bored in this room all by yourself." Landa had a nice voice, it was light and he chuckled as he spoke. But Basta felt his face twitch as he accepted to box from Landa.

"Thank you" Basta forced the words from his lips with great effort. Landa just smiled. "I'll be back tomorrow to check on you again. Is that alright?"

"That's fine." Basta set the box down on the floor before him, and made steady eye contact with Landa. The man seemed to gaze into Basta's soul for a short moment before he smiled innocently.

"The cigarettes are German" he said, then walked away. Basta waited until the Colonel's footsteps were inaudible before he opened the box. Inside he found a number of magazines similar to the one the guard was reading. Each cover featured a beautiful young lady in sexy undergarments or skimpy clothing. Basta's jaw twitched. Though he was extremely interested in the magazines, he wanted to see what else was in there. He found a red package that smelled like mint. Basta opened it, and found a bunch of white circles. He placed one in his mouth. It tasted like peppermint! He smiled in delight and sucked on the hard mint candy. Then he saw that the box contained a package of cigarettes and a matchbook.

He took the top magazine out of the box, and flicked it open. He was happy to see that there weren't many words in the magazine, just plenty of wonderfully graphic images! After flicking a tongue over his lips, Basta grinned and flipped through the magazine, admiring the amount of detail that went into the drawings on the page.

"Basta! ... BASTA!" Basta's eyes slowly opened when he heard someone hissing his name.

"Huh?" he rubbed his eyes, and rolled over. Something slid off his body and landed to the floor. Basta realised that it was his pinup magazine... he looked over to the bars and saw Anna standing there, looking stressed. "Oh!" he leapt to his feet. "Come in." He felt terribly stupid at that moment. He glanced at the clock. It didn't say 11. Anna let herself into the cell, and closed the sliding gate behind her.

"Sleepy?" She asked, looking a bit annoyed.

"Yes, sorry. What time is it?"

"It's one in the morning. Sorry I kept you waiting. I uh... had some things to do."

"Don't worry, that's fine." Basta rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor. Anna stepped over towards his bed. She blushed when she saw the magazines lying on the floor. "Oh!" Basta blushed scarlet and kicked the magazines under the cot. "Sorry"

"Don't" she murmured shyly, standing uncomfortably before him. "Ok, so shall we begin?"

"Err... begin?" He blushed some more, and his cheeks heated up to the point where he wanted a glass of water. The magazines had put him in a peculiar mood, and having Anna sitting on his bed made him twitch and stir and want to jump on her. He looked at her, sitting quietly on the bed, smoothing out the fabric of her red dress. She had her hair down, and smiled sweetly at him. He shivered before nodding. "Yeah, let's get started.:

"Ok, pass me that atlas, please." Basta picked up the book with a picture of the world on the front. He sat next to Anna on the bed, so close that their legs touched. He shivered in content. Anna took the atlas and spread it open over her lap. "This" she said, "is planet Earth." She passed her hand over the map. Basta watched her glossy, manicured nails with great interest. They were oval shaped, and cut after they'd left her fingers by not even a millimetre. "This is where you are" she said softly, pointing to the country Basta recognized as France.

"The world is so big" he murmured.

"Is yours very small?"

"I don't know. I've never left my country, which is rather small."

"Wow..." Anna studied his profile for a long while. "Alright, this" she said, tapping a country North East from France, "Is Germany."

"I see..." Basta studied the way Germany was spelled.

"So, Germany is currently allies with: Italy" she pointed to a boot shaped country East of France. "And Spain, but the Spaniards aren't fighting." She pointed to the country south of France. Basta followed her finger with his eyes. "Japan" this country was in the far, far east. "Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Bulgaria, and Albania." She pointed out a number of countries on the map.

"What about the rest?" asked Basta, staring curiously at all the countries.

"Most of them are fighting Germany's allies." Anna's voice was serious. Basta pointed to a large country on the left of the page.

"What about this one?"

"That's Canada" she said. "They're the good guys, along with the United States" she tapped the country below. "And the UK." She pointed at England on the map. "That's what accent you have" she said with a smile. "British." Basta cocked his head.

"I see..."

"Ok, so now that you can see what's going on here, I want you to hear to know about the war, and why the world is fighting." Basta moved his knee into Anna's. She didn't part from the pressure, and Basta's stomach swam with butterflies.

Anna told Basta about Adolf Hitler, and his plan to exterminate all Jews, and rule the world. She quoted his speeches, and explained to Basta that thousands of young men had lost their lives in this war.

"That's awful" he murmured, thinking back to all the wars fought back at his home. How many battles he had seen, how many lives he'd claimed with the blade of his sword.

"So you can see why Hitler must be stopped." Said Anna, closing the atlas. Basta gulped. Their noses were very close together.

"Are _you _working for the allies?" He asked in a whisper. Anna stared at him. At first Basta thought she would slap him again, or yell at him. But instead she made one tiny little nod. She leaned in towards him, her lips touching his ear as she whispered: "You can't tell _anyone_. Understand? No one can know." Basta nodded hastily.

"I understand" he whispered huskily. A long moment passed between them, when finally Anna broke the silence.

"So uh... enjoy those magazines?" she asked shyly.

"Oohh!" Basta blushed and bowed his head, but a smile pulled at his mouth. With his head still bowed, he answered: "Landa gave them to me" his voice was low and shy.

"Did he now?" asked Anna, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah" Basta picked up the box. "Mint?" He asked, offering her one. Anna giggled and nodded. Before she could take one from the package, Basta plucked one out, and held it in front of her plump lips. Anna smiled, and allowed Basta to carefully place the mint in her mouth. Anna puckered his lips as she sucked the mint.

"Mmm" she smiled. "Thank you." Basta pulled the collar away from his throat. He felt sweat bead on his forehead.

"A-A-Anna?" Basta stammered the Fräulein's name, and found himself turning his body towards her. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes?"

"May I call you Anna?"

"Of course." She smiled and lowered her eyes.

"How old are you?" Not very smooth, he realised.

"Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady her age?" she said teasingly.

"Uhh..."

"I'm twenty" she said, winking. "How old are you?"

"Twenty one." They looked into each other's eyes for quite some time. Anna batted her long black eyelashes. Just when Basta puckered up the courage to lean in, Anna sat up.

"Basta, I should go back now." She rubbed her forehead. "I'll visit you again tomorrow night." She smiled shyly, then left the cell. Basta collapsed on his bed, and sighed. After Anna was gone and he felt lonely, he reached under the bed and picked up a magazine.

**A/N: **

**Reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews! Please review!**

**And a GREAT BIG thank you to all the liebens that reviewed! **


	9. Chapter 9: Basta's jealous green eyes

Chapter 9: Basta's jealous green eyes

Basta had been contemplating smoking a cigarette when Landa came into his cell.

"Good morning, Basta" said the Colonel, smiling enthusiastically.

"G'morning." He muttered. Basta knew he would never be able to forgive the older man for sleeping with Anna, no matter how nice he came across.

"How is your reading coming along? Hopefully the magazines haven't been too much of a distraction..." he nudged his chin in at the magazines stacked under the bed.

"Oh, uh, not at all. I've done quite a bit of reading" he lied, shaking the bangs away from his eyes.

"Really?" Landa raised his eyebrows, then smiled. "Would you mind sharing with me what you've learned?"

"Of course not..." Basta's heart sped up. He couldn't tell Landa what Anna had told him, because Anna had told him the truth, and Landa wanted him to read lies. One thing Basta had been honoured for in Lombrica, was his ability to do a job properly, and very well. He was a perfectionist, and he rarely made mistakes. When he did make mistakes, he was sure to fix them. So, with a sigh, he stood up and squared his shoulders. He began pacing the cell, folding his arms behind his back, and told Landa what he knew. He watched as Landa took a seat on the bed, right where Anna had sat. Basta ignored that, and began. "Germany is a proud country, lead by a brilliant man named Adolf Hitler." Anna had mentioned this Hitler many times, and the name remained in Basta's mind. "Germany is currently dealing with a...Jew problem..." He furrowed his brow. All Anna had said about the Jews is that Hitler hated them, and was killing millions in places called concentration camps. And, of course, that the Jews were innocent. "Jews are terrible" said Basta, reversing what Anna had said. "Absolutely filthy, and they all deserve to be executed." Basta didn't really care about them, or anyone but himself and Anan for that matter. But Anna had been so passionate about the oppression, that Basta figured he would care too, for the time being. Landa's eyes seemed to sparkle, and he nodded encouragingly. "Germany is allies with a number of countries, such as...uh.." he strained to remember the countries Anna had told them about. All he could really remember was he beautiful, long slender index finger, sliding over the page... her glossy nail, tidy cuticles. Then the boot shaped country popped into his mind. "Italy" he nodded to affirm the fact. "And, uh, Spain. Spain and... Japan" he remembered the far eastern country as well. "And a bunch of others... like, Finland...?"

"Very good" encouraged Landa. He seemed relatively impressed. Basta sighed.

"I can't quite remember the rest" he confessed.

"That will do for now. Do you remember anything else?" Asked Landa. Basta sucked in his bottom lip as he searched his mind. _Anna's lips... putting the mint in her mouth... how her cheeks glowed rosy pink..._

"Uhhh... Oh! Germany and its allies are at war with a number of other countries." Landa nodded. The smile had disappeared off his face, and he looked serious. It made Basta shudder. He realised that Landa had the potential to be a very dangerous man. "Countries such as the United States of America, and several royal countries, like Canada, England and Australia. Germany is also fighting with the French, and the Russians, though Russia used to be an ally." He smiled proudly. He had never done better on a test as he had just then. He wished Anna could have been there to see how well he did, how he had paid attention to her words.

"Very good, Basta. I see you have been paying attention to your books." Landa got to his feet. "There's only a bit more information you should cover. I'll be back tomorrow to see how the rest of your research has come."

"Very good" said Basta, bowing his head. He couldn't stand Landa's presence. The mere thought of Landa's body on Anna's made him want to punch the Colonel.

"Adieu" said Landa, and he was gone.

Basta groaned and lay down on his bed. He took a cigarette from the box, along with the matchbook. He stuck a cigarette in his mouth, but it took him a long while to work up the nerve to scoop a match from the box. His eyes involuntarily flicked to his outstretched arms, which were burned pink and white. He _hated _his arms. _Hated _them. His mind did an involuntary flashback to the night they were burned...

"_BASTA! Light it on fire!" Cockerels' voice was loud and intimidating, coming at him through the night._

"_Ye, Ye! I've got this, leave me alone!" He shouted back angrily. In his hand he held a torch, ablaze in the night and sharply illuminating his young face. He was sixteen when it happened..._

"_DO IT NOW!" Cockerel was impatient. Basta focused his harsh stare on the house in front of him. It was a tiny house, a hut really. Crammed inside were a dozen screaming people. _

He struck the match, and watched, somewhat petrified, as the little flame danced at the end of the matchstick. He took the cigarette from his lips, and brought the white stick to the flame. Once the end was lit, he put the cigarette in his mouth and waved the match around, extinguishing the flame. He lay on his back, propping his legs up and crossing one over, and smoked. Once again, the calm feeling washed through his body, filling his legs with numbness, disconnecting his arms from his body. As he smoked, he thought of Anna, and how beautiful she was. She had been entertaining his thoughts for some time. In a way, he thought -puffing absently on the cigarette- she was like an angel to him. She was the only woman he knew in the new world, and she was gentle and he imagined she was very soft. He hiccoughed in excitement before taking another long drag. He couldn't wait for her visit.

Anna didn't come that night.

Basta stayed up all night, anxiously watching the clock. It passed 11, past 1. He smoked, he read( or rather, looked at pictures), but finally, he fell asleep.

When Basta awoke, he found himself to be in a very bad mood. He scowled as he ate breakfast, he scowled as he paced the floor, and he scowled even more when Colonel Landa walked into his cell around noon.

"So sorry I'm late!" said Landa. He had some bags under his eyes. Barely visible, but noticeably there. "Long night."

"Was it now?" hissed Basta, wondering if Anna had anything to do with it. Instead of elaborating, Landa just made a terse smile.

"Have you done any more reading?" He asked.

"No" growled the young man. 

"No?" Landa raised his eyebrows. "Why not?"

"I fell asleep." Landa shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm disappointed, Basta." He said with a sigh.

"I'll finish it all by tomorrow evening" he muttered, hoping that Anna would visit him in time. Landa sighed loudly.

"Oh, alright" he said, smiling a bit. He adjusted his hat, then clasped his hands behind his back. "I expect you to keep your word" he said.

"Yes, sir." Basta bowed his head, staring at his knees.

After Landa had left, Basta groaned in boredom, and decided to do sit-ups. In Lombrica, he had kept himself in wonderful shape. Usually he was on his feet for days, or on horseback. He could run for miles, and manage an extremely heavy sword. His swelling, but not grossly large, biceps proved this. The sleeves of his white tee-shirt fit snugly around his arms. And as he did a number of sit ups, he felt the muscles on his belly swell and tighten. He grunted and pushed himself harder, smiling to himself as his entire body tightened up and hardened. After many minutes, Basta finally collapsed on his back, smiling to himself. His entire belly burned, and he enjoyed the feeling. It was pain, but good pain. He hopped to his feet, and lifted his tee shirt up, so he could examine the muscles that had swelled under his skin. Basta peered down at his belly, and smiled in satisfaction at the rippling six pack and predominant V-Line. A thin trail of dark hair ran down from his belly button and into the waist of his fatigues. Though physical fitness had always been a way of life for him, he couldn't help but feel proud at the moments when his body was at its finest. And then, as he stood alone in his cell, his body was looking perfect. He dropped his shirt, sighed, and plopped down onto his bed. He wondered if Landa had abs like his. Landa was a fit man. Though he wasn't exceptionally large or muscled, he was lean and healthy. Basta figured the man probably didn't sport a muscular six pack, but probably did have a flat, muscled belly. But, Basta realised, Landa was much, much older than Basta. The Colonel must have been in his forties, while Basta himself was only twenty one. As he thought about this, Basta frowned. The frown deepened as he realised that Landa's age had more than likely graced him with years and years of sexual experience. Basta felt his stomach roll when he remembered the pleasured sounds Anna had made under the Colonel's wiry body. He rubbed his forehead in frustration as he further contemplated the matter. Basta could count the number of times he himself had participated in sexual relations. Eight, to be exact, and only half had resulted in intercourse. He reminded himself of the whole reason why he'd been called into Capricorn's room for punishment in the first place.

It was all because of Evelyn.

Evelyn was fourteen years old, and Capricorn's preferred partner at the time. The girl was round faced, fair, and attractive. Golden blonde hair falling halfway down her back, held together in a messy braid. They had made eyes at each other from across the dining room. She had been setting the table, he had been stopping in to visit his master before dinner. The mere thrill of flirting with Capricorn's favourite made in the presence of his master himself had made Basta smile psychotically to himself. He wanted Evelyn. In retrospect, Basta realised that he'd merely wanted the thrill. But at the time, he was almost positive Evelyn was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen.

_They made eyes over the table, his green irises locking with her brown ones. He left the dining room, and loitered in the hallway. He wasn't surprised when Evelyn appeared a few minutes later, wiping her hands on her dress, and an excited smile on her young, bow shaped lips. He was up against the wall, sword hanging from its sheath, and she had ground over his body, provoking a satisfied grunt from his throat. He grabbed her wrist, and half hauled her over the Capricorn's bedroom. The four poster bed loomed before them. Basta unbuckled the belt from his waist, and the sword fell to the floor with a clatter. Evelyn watched him undress, her young eyes flicking over his body greedily. Basta pulled off his own shirt before striding over to Evelyn, putting a firm hand to her shoulder, and spinning her around sharply, so he could undo her corset. Though Basta's nails were short, and his fingers too thick to catch the laces, so he found himself grunting in effort to undo the web of string. Evelyn eventually worked the laces away with her own tiny fingers. When the bodice fell free, she stepped out of her dress, and looked down at the extension in Basta's pants. Basta kicked off his boots and stepped out of his pants. Though there was a bed present in the room, he didn't fancy the idea of rolling around in his master's sheets. And he was far too driven by desire to make anything of the bed. Instead, he fumbled his way over to a wall, spun Evelyn around, back to the stone, and hoisted her up onto his extended hips. Evelyn let out a little cry as Basta shoved his piece into her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and clawed his bare back as he worked to bring himself to a climax. Evelyn was making a great deal of noise, but Basta himself kept relatively quiet, a grunt of moan occasionally escaping his mouth. The girl finally screamed, though, and came long before Basta managed to. Evelyn's scream must have caught the attention of several other maids, because the door parted open a crack, and a nervous face poked through the door..._

Basta shook his head clear of the thought. In retrospect, it had all been a silly experience. Thinking back on it, he didn't feel any gratification from the moment. It was just a blunt memory, one that felt a lifetime behind him. He groaned as he lay down on the bed and stuck a cigarette in his mouth. He found that the more he smoked, the less anxious and frustrated he felt about things. Even Capricorn's previous torture methods grew fainter and fainter in his mind. He felt happier, knowing that as long as the smoke filled his lungs, he could forget about being Capricorn's writhing human pet.

He was beginning to like the new world, though he was starting to get sick of his cell. Comfortable as it was, he wanted to get outside and explore the country he was in- France. Though Anna said the world was at war, Basta didn't see a single trace of fighting or destruction. He reminded himself that battles in Lombrica were usually fought outside of cities. They usually took place in fields or the woods, or outside the Adderhead's castle.

Basta curled his toes inside his socks as he finished his cigarette. He snubbed it in a makeshift ashtray- a soup can filled with sand- before picking up the atlas. He thumbed through the pages, eyes flicking over the drawings of countries and cities. The atlas contained the most detailed drawings Basta had ever seen (he later learned that they were called Photographs, taken with a device called a camera). The black, grey, and white images displayed buildings like none Basta had ever seen before. Though the book said nothing about castles.

The clock said 12 when Anna finally came over to Basta's cell. He was about to open his mouth to ask her why she'd stood him up the night before, when he realised something was very wrong.

Anna was crying.

**A/N:**

**How sad. It's 1:15am, I'm sitting at my kitchen island with a Sony digital photo frame instruction booklet to my right, and family guy on mute on the TV to my left. What else can I reach from here? A glass of chocolate milk, a highlighter, TV remote, my High School yearbook, and... Is that a condom wrapper? False alarm, it's a single dose Tylenol packet. **

**REVIEW! **


	10. Chapter 10: Swastika

Chapter 10: Swastika

"Anna, what's wrong?" Basta felt his stomach roll at the sight of Anna's blotchy red and tearstained face. "What happened?" He approached the bars, so he and Anna were more or less right in front of each other. She sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye, but didn't look Basta in the face.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"That's a lie! Something happened!" His voice was stern, and he surprised himself. He actually felt for Anna. So his attraction wasn't just physical... it ran deeper. Never in his life had Basta really cared for somebody, other than his master. Even Roxanne was just a toy for him. The chase had really just turned into a game. He offered her money and jewels, things he didn't really have, to see if he could get her. She refused him every time, so technically, he had lost. But that only made him more competitive.

As he stood across from Anna, in that quiet cell of his, he felt his heart twisting and writhing in his chest. Anna was in pain, and he wanted to do something to make it better. He genuinely cared for her; and that... that scared him.

"Anna, tell me how to make it better" He frowned deeply and reached through the bars with his scarred arms, tentatively pulling her closer to him. She fell into his embrace, letting her body come against the bars. Their bodies touched through the gaps of the bars, and Basta did his best to hug her. Anna dropped her head, and Basta's forehead rested against her soft, sweet smelling hair. "Everything will be ok" he murmured soothingly. Anna's slender arms fit through the bars, and she hugged him back, gripping his tee shirt with her dainty hands. Her body shivered before she sniffed and sighed. Basta mentally cursed the bars, as he wanted to fully embrace the quivering body before him. "Come on" he coaxed, lifting his head. "Come on inside and sit down." Anna nodded, and eventually pulled away from his arms. She took a key from her purse, and unlocked the gate. When she came inside, Basta put a hand to the small of her back, and guided her over to his bed. She took a seat, and he sat beside her, studying her face with a grave expression. He gently wiped a cold tear from her cheek with his index finger, then gently rubbed her back. He had no experience with comforting women, none whatsoever, so he just did what he would want someone to do to him, if he were in that situation. And it must have worked, because Anna eventually relaxed, and the redness left her face. She wiped her water logged lashes with her hands, then turned to Basta.

"I'm sorry" she said, in a slightly injured tone. "I'm embarrassed."

"No, no. Don't be. Everything is ok now."

"No it's not" she said, her voice scaring him more than the tears had. It was low, shaking... venomous. "Today, the SS leader Heinrich Himmler ordered that Gypsies and part Gypsies be put on the same level as Jews. Treated like Jews, and put in concentration camps like the Jews." Fresh, hot tears ran down her cheeks. Basta blinked... what was a gypsy?

"Sorry, Anna, but who are the gypsies?" He frowned gravely, and Anna nodded.

"Of course, of course. You don't understand" her voice had lost its edge, and was soft again. "Gypsy is just a word for the Romani people, folks from Europe that trace their heritage back to Medieval India." This meant nothing to Basta, nothing whatsoever. What was Romani? What was Medieval? What was India? The only word he understood was Europe. "It's terrible" she murmured, burying her face in her hands. "More innocent lives will be lost."

"Anna, concentration camps are where they kill the Jews, right?" He asked. He remembered her telling him about this, but last time they spoke he had been very tired, and he sort of drifted out when she began talking about the camps. She nodded in response to his question.

"Yes." When she spoke next, her voice was barely over a whisper. Her tone made the short hairs on the back of Basta's neck and arms stand straight on end. "Auschwitz."

And then he remembered what Anna had told him. Jews were sent to Auschwitz to be killed, and now the Gypsies would be going with them. Anna explained that the Jews had no way out. They were trapped, and killed. And Basta realised why his hair stood on end, and why his stomach rolled.

"_BASTA! Light the fucking fire, man!" _

"_Shut up, Cockerel! I've got it!" Basta watched as the smoke from the other black jacket's torches rose from the hut. The windows were boarded up, along with the door. Torch in hand, Basta shifted nervously from foot to foot. The house had already caught fire, and smoke plumed from under the door and through the chimney. All he needed to do was shove the torch into the glass window and the deed would be done... but the screaming... he couldn't bring himself to set fire to the hut. The people trapped inside screamed and cried, begging the black jackets to set them free. Basta even heard the cry of a baby in the house. He felt sick to his stomach when he remembered the baby's face. He had watched Cockerel shove a young lady into the hut. She had been holding a beautiful little baby, no more than five months old, he figured. He remembered the look on the young lady's face as she was shoved into the building, her child in her skinny arms. They had made eye contact- he wide, terrified eyes locking with his cold green ones. _

"_Help me please! My baby! Don't hurt my baby!" Her voice had been shrill, terrified. Basta had watched as she was shoved into the building with the rest of the group. He hadn't said a word. The baby had blue eyes. _

"_Throw the fucking torch, man!" And so he did. With a bitter expression, he thrust the flaming torch in through the glass window. The pane shattered, and he let go. He felt hot flames licking around the wall, but before he could turn and walk away, arms reached through the broken glass and wooden boards. Basta saw his reflection in what was left of the window, along with burning orange flames. The arms grabbed hold of his arms, dragging him towards the burning house. Basta cried out in agony as his arms were sliced on the broken glass. And then he felt the fire. He cried in agony as searing hotness burned over his slender forearms. _

"_OH GOD!" he screamed, as the blood pouring from his wounds boiled on his flaming skin. "FUCK! FUCKING GOD GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He screamed in terror and agony, his bangs gluing to the sweat pouring off his forehead. The arms from inside the burning house hauled him closer, until his entire body was pressed against the side of his house, his arms held strong inside the inferno. He heard the screams, loud and terrified, and above them all rose the cries of the blue eyed baby. Basta screamed, the sound foreign to his own ears. It was a cross between a sob and an agonized shout. Suddenly the baby stopped. _

"Are you OK?" Anna's soft voice ripped Basta from his thoughts.

"I'm fine" his voice was different, cracked and broken. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"You can see why Hitler must be stopped."

"Yes, yes I can." Basta felt very put off. He found that he was in a terribly miserable mood, and he really wanted to smoke.

"Basta, you're very pale. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He sighed deeply, then massaged the back of his neck. "Terrible things" he managed to mumble under his breath. After clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "Landa stopped by."

"Did he?" This seemed to make her nervous.

"Yes, he said I have some reading to finish, and it's due tomorrow."

"In that case, let's finish it tonight. I don't want you to be in trouble with Landa."Anna bent down, picking up folders and booklets off the floor.

"What does he do, anyways?" asked Basta. "Is he a soldier?" As Anna thumbed through the manila booklets, she spoke with a flat voice.

"Hans Landa is an SS Officer."

"SS?"

"_Schutz-Staffel_. Or, shield squadron." She sighed and dog eared a page she found interesting. "Despite his dedication, Colonel Landa doesn't exactly believe in the Nazi ideology." Anna spoke slowly and quietly, her tone flat and void of showing any emotion. "He doesn't think he's a Nazi. And yet... _and yet_... he has been nicknamed the Jew Hunter."

"The Jew hunter?"

"Oh yes. He's the very best at his job." Anna's eyebrows raised. "It's his job to travel all over Europe, capturing Jews in hiding."

"Really..." Basta frowned.

"Landa is extremely intelligent" she said, and this time, her voice did reveal her emotion. It revealed a mixture of both disgust and admiration. "He speaks four languages, he is highly educated, and knows just a little too much." Anna's fingers were quivering. "That's why I have to be so careful" she whispered. "If he ever found out I'm working for the French..." her voice trailed off, and she seemed to shrink.

"Does he suspect anything?" asked Basta, the Colonel's charming smile passing through his mind.

"No" she said, her voice nervous. "He doesn't. And I want to keep it that way."

"No kidding..." Basta watched the brave young lady beside him. Then something caught his eye: a small golden cross necklace around her neck. If she had worn it before, he hadn't noticed; he had probably been too busy looking at her cleavage. "What's on your neck?" he asked quietly.

"Oh" she smiled. "It's just my cross." She put a hand to the high neckline of her dress.

"Oh" Basta liked it. The glinting gold necklace was dainty and thin, and fit perfectly around the young lady's neck, resting on her breast bone.

"Do you have religion in your world?"

"No." Said Basta, wondering what that meant. Anna sighed, and calmly explained to him what it meant to be Catholic. That the Nazis believed in angels, and so did she. Basta believed in angles. Anna was his angel.

"Alright" she murmured tapping the manila document on her lap. "All this talks about is the superior race."

"Superior race?"

"Yes, yes. The Aryan race. _Arisch_. It's referring to non-Jew Caucasians with blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Landa isn't Arian" said Basta, frowning.

"Neither is Hitler" said Anna with a smile. "This document also touches on the Swastika." She pointed at a picture of a crooked shape, like a squashed version of the cross she wore, only each arm was bent at a right angle. Basta recognized it as the symbol the German soldiers wore on the red band around their arms.

"I recognize that" he said, tracing the bent arms of the swastika with his finger. "That's the Nazi sign."

"Yes it is." Anna sighed once again, and closed the folder. "That pretty much covers all your reading" she said. Basta felt two emotions run through him at the same time. Happiness, and disappointment. It was good in a sense that he had kept his promise to Landa, doing his job and finishing his research. Bad in a way that his relationship with Anna could be coming to an end. Anna studied his face, her olive green eyes flicking over his features. He felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny. He was extremely self conscious, and felt like he needed to impress Anna. _Surly she wouldn't be pleased by looking at my face_! He thought, shifting in discomfort. But Anna smiled, and a dainty finger reached up to his face.

"How did you get this?" She asked, brushing a finger up the scar that ran from Basta's chin-making him look like he had a cleft- and to the base of his bottom lip. Basta gasped, and felt his body heat up.

"Fist fight" he murmured. Anna's finger drifted up to his bottom lip. Without much thought, Basta took in a breath, and very gently closed his teeth over the tip of Anna's index finger. He saw her expression change, her lips parting and her breath catching. Encouraged, Basta took the young lady's wrist in his hand, and closed his lips over the finger. He saw Anna's skin prickle with goose bumps, so he took more of her finger in his mouth, sliding his tongue over her skin. He took her finger out for a moment, sliding his tongue over his lips, and carefully studying Anna's expression. She didn't protest one bit, as a matter of fact, she seemed to be enjoying the moment. So Basta frowned slightly, and took both her index and middle finger into his mouth. He grazed his teeth over her fingers, along with his tongue. When Anna finally let out a little moan, he flicked his eyes up at her, and put his teeth down on her digits once again, adding more pressure. Anna took her fingers from his mouth, and cupped the side of his face. Basta's heart nearly exploded in his chest, and he felt embarrassed about the hardness in his fatigues. His eyelids began to droop, and just when he was _sure _Anna would lean in and kiss him, she just smiled and got to her feet.

"Good night" she murmured, fixing the hem of her dress. "You can tell me about your fist fight later" she took a very deep breath, then left.

Basta could only sigh loudly and bonk his head on the wall.

**A/N: **

**Ok, guys: I would just like to remind everyone that Colonel Hans Landa is not, I repeat ****NOT ****my character. He is a creation of Master Director and Genius Quentin Tarantino. **

**So, how did y'all like the chappy?**

**Submit a review for the love of awkward sexual tension! HOORAH! **


	11. Chapter 11: Escape from the Embassy

Chapter 11: Escape from the German embassy

The clock on the wall read 6 am. Basta groaned and opened his eyes when he heard the clop of boots coming down the hallway. Figuring it was Landa, Basta rubbed his eyes and recollected the facts he'd learned yesterday. Blonde Hair and Blues Eyes, Swastika, Romani. But instead of Landa coming into view, it was Dr. Hertz! Basta blinked and frowned.

"Dr. Hertz?" he asked. The man was dressed in the typical coloured German uniform, only it wasn't dressy at all. Instead of sporting the Red Swastika band on the arm, Dr. Hertz had two white bands on both arms, each depicting a thick red cross. He carried a green messenger bag under his arm, a large white circle with a red cross shown plainly on the front.

"Good morning, Basta" said Dr. Hertz, his smooth masculine voice breaking the silent morning lull. Basta frowned.

"What are you wearing?" As Dr. Hertz approached the bars, Basta could see that the man was holding a heavy duty green/grey helmet under his arm, four white circles and red crosses covering each side.

"This is my field uniform" he said with a sigh.

"You mean..."

"I'm going back out into the action." Hertz frowned and took a deep breath.

"Into the battle?"

"Yes" Hertz looked either way before he walked up against the bars and motioned Basta over. Tentatively, Basta rose from his bed and approached the taller man. Hertz seemed to be stressed, and slightly fidgety. "Look" he said in a low voice, talking almost under his breath. "You need to get out of here" he whispered fiercely, locking his light brown eyes with Basta's. "I heard them talking about you... they're moving you to a different facility, to do experiments. They want to know your secrets!"

"What?"

"I read your polygraph test results. You time traveled? Though I don't think that's possible, they want to know your secrets. _Hitler _has heard of you! They want to know how you did it, and they'll do anything to find out." Hertz's breath tickled Basta's face.

"Hitler's heard of me?"

"That's what I heard. Look, whatever they're going to do to you, it won't be good." Hertz bit his lip. "You need to get out, and you need to hide. Run to Switzerland, it's a neutral country."

Basta couldn't digest what Hertz was saying. Hitler had heard of him... _Hitler! _What would Anna say?

"When are they going to move me?"

"I don't know" said Hertz, adjusting the bag on his shoulder.

"You need to escape."

"Thank you" Basta didn't know how to properly thank the doctor. He wasn't very good at saying thank you or appreciating things.

"It's the least I could do" murmured Hertz, making a bit of a face. "Anyways, I have to go." Hertz seemed pained by the idea of going out on the field.

"Good luck" said Basta, feeling gratitude towards the other man.

"Thanks. You too." Dr. Hertz smiled before backing away from the cell. He adjusted the black collar of his jacket, trimmed with white. "Take care" he raised a hand, then disappeared as he walked right, up the hallway. After the footsteps had drowned out, Basta sat on his bed, his heart in his throat. _Experiments? What experiments? _Basta didn't want to be a guinea pig. And what was this Switzerland Hertz had mentioned?

Basta took the atlas up off the floor, and thumbed over to the page on Europe. Though he couldn't read, he had paid close attention to the words Anna had said as she ran her finger over words on a page. He had managed to remember what letters made what sounds, so he had a general idea on how certain things were spelled. He searched each of the countries, looking for ones that started with _S_. He found a few, but the one that he was convinced was Switzerland was Surrounded by France, Italy, Germany, and a piece of Austria. It didn't seem too far away, just North East of France. He decided he would tell Anna that night. That is, if she came to visit. Nervously, Basta picked up another manila folder. Inside were pictures of the strangest things Basta had ever seen. A long, strangely shaped metal and wooden device, with a strap on it. Basta frowned, and made a mental note to ask Anna about the pictures of the strange things in the future.

Landa came at around five pm, chipper as per usual. After Anna's bit on Landa, Basta found himself weary around the older man. Of course Hertz's information didn't help either.

"How are you today, Basta?" Asked Landa, sitting on a chair outside the cell. Basta shrugged.

"I am well."

"Good to hear." Landa smiled as he scuffed the floor with his boot. "Finished your reading?"

"Yes" said Basta. He had gathered all the books, and arranged them properly in the apple crate.

"Excellent!" Landa smiled brilliantly, flashing his straight teeth. "Care to tell me what you've learned?" Landa folded his hands in his lap, and closed his lips. Basta looked into the man's eyes. After what Anna had told him, he imagined a number of gears turning in the man's brain. Chillingly clever.

"I read about the Aryan race" he said, cocking his head. Landa had blue eyes. "Blonde hair and blue eyes combined make a superior being. That is, if they're non-Jew."

"Very good." Landa nodded.

"Also, I learned about the Swastika." Basta took a breath. "The Swastika is the symbol of the Nazis." He shrugged a bit, not knowing what else to say. He didn't dare mention the Romani, or Auschwitz, in case they weren't mentioned in the documents.

"I am pleased that you have kept your word" said Landa, letting himself into the cell. "I hope you don't mind, I would like to take the books back. I've borrowed them from the public Library." He smiled and nodded as he spoke. Basta picked up the heavy apple crate, his arms swelling as he passed the load to Landa. The man held the crate with ease. He didn't seem stressed by the weight at all, which made Basta nervous. Maybe his fears of the man's abs were true... "Now Basta, I would like to discuss with you a change of location."

"Oh?" Basta felt himself grow rigid. Dr. Hertz was right!

"It's really just up in the air right now" said Landa pleasantly. "But I'm sure you're getting sick of this cell" he smiled, but his eyes were hard. "There are some very important people that would like to meet you!"

"Oh really, now?"

"Oh yes! A number or individuals would like to have a chat with you. But, like I said, we'll talk about it later."

"Oh, Ok." Basta pretended to be clueless. _Oh, me? A celebrity? Aww, shucks! I'd love to meet these important people too... I'm onto you, you bastard. _

"See you later then" said Landa, smiling.

"Bye." Basta smiled as pleasantly as he could, showing off his nice white teeth and crinkled skin around his eyes. Some of his dark bangs fell down over an eye, and he leaned in slightly, emphasizing his "enthusiasm". After Basta had left with his books, Basta found himself going absolutely stir crazy. The night Anna hadn't come, Basta had entertained himself by building a mini castle with the text books... a weak moment. Pathetic, really. But after all the pinup magazines had been read and re-read several times, Basta found himself literally jumping up and down in his cell, behaving like a hooligan in hopes of entertaining himself. Again, another...weak moment...

11pm and Basta was hanging upside down off his bed, his head on the floor and a porn magazine over his face. He had dozed off, but awoke with a start when he heard Anna's high heels clipping down the hallway. The young woman opened the gate, and laughed when she saw the sight before her.

"Those magazines have gotten to your head... literally."

"Huh?" He whipped the magazine off his face and blushed. "I uh... I..."

"Save your breath" she said, sauntering into the cell. Basta gulped. Anna was dressed in a beautiful dress. It had a high waist skirt, in black, and a deep V top portion in cheetah print. He wriggled onto his belly, so his chin was on the floor. He hauled half his body off the bed, and got to his feet. Anna's lips were painted a dark red, the color of wine, and she had he luscious brown hair collected in a bun. Pearl earrings decorated his lobes, and the golden cross necklace fit in-between the V that led down to her cleavage. He was so enticed for a moment that he almost forgot to tell Anna his news.

"Anna!" he cried suddenly, a little too loud. "Anna... I have bad news."

"What?" Anna's eyes widened.

"Dr. Hertz stopped by today" Basta lowered his voice and took a few steps towards Anna. He smelled her perfume, and it made his eyes almost roll back into his head as his body surged with heat. "He uhm... he... he..." Basta couldn't concentrate. He had to shake his head and take a step back in order to continue. "He told me that Hitler has heard about me, and that they're going to take me to a facility and do experiments. They want to find out how I time traveled."

"WHAT?" The look of panic on Anna's face made Basta's stomach roll.

"Dr. Hertz said I need to get out of here as fast as I can."

"Has Landa mentioned anything?"

"Yes. When he came by to take the text books, he said that we would talk about a location change..."

"Oh this is bad... very bad." Anna put a hand to her forehead and paced back and forth. "Not good.. Not good.. We need to get you out of here!"

"That's what the good doctor said..."

"Get what you want and we're out of here." Basta grabbed the mints, the cigarettes, and the matchbook, shoving them into the deep pockets of his army fatigues. "Not bringing your magazines?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Basta blushed and tried to sputter an answer, but Anna just shook her head. "Come on, let's go." Basta took one last look at his cozy cell before following Anna's hourglass figure down the hallway.

They left the embassy, their figures disappearing into the chilly night. Anna wasn't wearing a jacket, which surprised Basta.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he walked next to her at a brisk pace.

"To my house" she said. Basta buzzed with excitement. Anna's house? Awesome. "Landa and I usually go to his place, so I don't think there will be much of a problem." _Great. Just great. _Basta thought darkly.

"Why do you sleep with him anyways?" Blurted Basta. "I mean, is he _that _good in bed?" He was jealous and it clearly showed. He felt stupid for a moment, and felt his cheeks heat up. Anna didn't speak for a while, but when she finally spoke, her tone was injured.

"Have you ever heard the expression: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?"

"Yes murmured Basta." He felt stupid for mentioning the sex part.

"And yes, Basta. He _is _that good in bed."

His worst fears were realised! Oh, the horror! He muttered darkly under his breath as he trudged up the side walk. When she turned her head and winked at him, though, he felt a little smile play at his lips.

"How far away do you live?" he asked, his socks squishing as they got wet on the side walk.

"Getting tired?" She asked. Basta took that as an insult!

"I happen to be in prime physical condition! And I asked because I don't have any shoes and my socks are soaked."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Basta!"

"Don't you be sorry" he said, smiling.

"I live a few...err, well, a number of blocks away."

"That's alright" he said, walking beside her. He smiled as charmingly as he could, and she smiled back, her teeth flashing in the dark. "Oh Anna" he murmured.

"Oh Anna what?"

"Nothing..."

"Are you sure?" She nudged his arm, and he laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Ok." She seemed a bit put off, but said nothing further. They walked in silence, arms touching. The night was chilly, so Basta was happy when Anna said they'd reached her place. "I live above the clothing store" she said.

"Huh?"

"Lots of stores have flats above them. I'm living above the clothes store." She smiled and lead him to a wrought iron stairwell behind the darkened building.

"That's cool" he murmured. Anna unlocked a door, and opened it into darkness. Her hand fumbled for a switch, and suddenly a quaint apartment was illuminated with soft golden light.

"It's not much, but it's home."

"It's nice" he said, looking around the nice space. The floors were worn honey coloured hardwood, and the walls were painted warm brick red. To their right was a kitchenette, and beyond that a small round table with three chairs gathered around its perimeter. Directly ahead of them was a cozy living room, a small fire place, and a red rug spread out on the floor. To their left, a closet, and around the corner was a bedroom.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" she asked, stepping out of her shoes. She nudged them against the wall, and wandered over to her kitchen. Basta looked around some more before shaking his head no.

"No thank you" he said, following her into the kitchen.

"Sure?" She poured herself a glass of water. "I'm sorry it's so small, there's not a lot of room-"

"I can sleep on the couch." He offered, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Anna nodded, and downed her drink.

"I'll prepare it for you. Though I will admit, I'm very nervous... when Landa finds out you're missing, they're going to rip the city apart..." suddenly she quieted down and looked very distressed, as if the realisation of what she'd done had finally hit her. Basta felt bad for putting her in such a situation. He shifted from foot to food, frowning and biting his lip.

"I can leave" he murmured. "Dr. Hertz said I should go to Switzerland..."

"Don't be silly. You can stay here, as long as we're careful."

"Ok." Basta watched as Anna hurried to her bedroom, and came back with blankets and a pillow in her arms. She began spreading them out on the couch.

"I'm going to have a drink" she said, her voice quivering.

"I'll join you" he murmured. As Anna poured herself a glass of wine, she asked what he wanted to drink. "Do you have any rum?" He asked.

"A rum drinker eh? I have just the drink for you." She pulled a bottle of rum from a cupboard, and something from her refrigerator (a device that Basta thought was revolutionary!). She opened a glass bottle, and into a glass she poured an ounce or so of rum, and the rest with the bubbling brown liquid. Basta frowned a bit. Anna passed the glass to him, and smiled. "Try it" she encouraged. Basta glanced into the bubbling, hissing drink, and took a tentative sip.

He nearly came in his pants.

"This is amazing!" He cried. He took another hard sip, smiling as the fizzy sweetness filled his mouth (and the rum was amazing as well).

"It's called rum and coke" she said, winking. Then took a sip of her wine. Basta wanted to chug the drink, but decided to go slow. He was close to being a light weight... all it took was a few drinks and he'd be smashed. "Told you you'd like it" he followed her to the living room, and sat down next to her on the couch. She swung her long smooth legs up, and reclined a bit, holding her cup of wine close to her lips. "What a day" she murmured, closing her eyes. Basta gulped and found himself taking a long sip from his glass.

"Yes, a long day."

"You must get so bored in your cell" she said.

"Oh you have no idea" he grumbled.

"What did you do for fun?" She asked, opening her eyes and sipping her wine.

"Um... sit ups, smoking..." he didn't dare mention the pin up magazines.

"Sit ups, huh?" Anna smiled.

"Yeah, I'm not used to sitting around." As he sat there with Anna, he felt so blissful. Not once had he ever enjoyed a situation such as this. Lounging around a cozy room with a beautiful woman with alcohol.

"What did you used to do, in your world?" She took a sip and extended a sculpted calf over Basta's lap. He gulped, felt sweat collecting on his forehead, and just when he thought she would drop her lovely leg into his lap, she pulled it back. He sighed.

"Anything my master needed me to do. I've delivered messages, done... errands, and uh, well, I suppose I was a bit of a soldier as well."

"Interesting" said Anna. "Did you ride horses?"

"Of course! They're our primary source of transportation." That made Anna smile.

"I used to ride horses" she said. "I took riding lessons." She shrugged a dainty shoulder.

"That's nice" said Basta. He wasn't very good at carrying out conversations, though he loved to talk. He was often amused by the sound of his own voice. The other black jackets often said that he enjoyed the sound more than everything. This was not entirely true. He went to take another sip of his rum and coke, but found that the glass was empty. "Can I have another one of these?"

"Oh, of course!" Anna jumped to her feet.

"No, no, I can get it..."

"Nonsense. I've got it." She took the glass from him, and walked over to the kitchen. Basta followed her beautiful figure with unblinking eyes. He watched as she fixed the drink, pouring the liquids into his glass. He licked his lips and repositioned himself on the couch. He stretched his legs out a bit, trying to get comfortable. He heard the chugging sound of the water bottle as Anna poured herself more wine. Anna came back, and handed him the drink. But instead of sitting in her usual spot, across from him, she made herself comfortable in between his legs. Basta let out an involuntary gasp, but moved his head aside so she could fit her head against his shoulder. He snuck a sip of the alcohol before setting the full glass on the end table. Anna took a long sip. Basta plucked up his courage and wrapped his arms around the young lady's rib cage. She sighed in content, but Basta shifted slightly in discomfort. He didn't want to get too excited, as he didn't have a belt buckle to blame if she should feel any hardness against her back ...

"Basta" she murmured, running her dainty fingers along his wrist.

"Y-yes?"

"I wasn't going to ask, but... what ever happened to your arms?"

So the question was out. She had noticed his ugly arms.

"I fell" he said slowly, thinking up a lie "into a fire pit." He allowed his head to lull closer to hers for enough time to sniff her hair.

"Strange" she mused, tickling his skin. "Your arms are burnt to the elbows, but your hands are completely unharmed." Her fingers traced over the ragged scars on his wrists where the shattered glass had sliced his skin when he had been dragged through the window.

"It's um... it's a long story."

"Hmm" Anna let out a little sigh, then took a sip of wine. Basta followed her example and took a stab of his rum and coke. He was beginning to feel the alcohol, the warm fuzzy detachment settling in his arms and legs. He tilted his head back and sighed, though he wanted very badly to brush Anna's hair aside and kiss her skin. _Is that what she wants me to do? _He wondered, looking down at the lady between his legs. _I mean, why would she choose to sit on my lap anyways? _ He tightened his grip around her ribs, and smiled when he heard her make a sleepy little moan.

"Anna?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for all you've done for me" he murmured.

"It's not problem." She said. Then she yawned. "Sorry, but wine makes me so sleepy..."

Basta made a bit of a face. Alcohol usually made him horny as hell, but it had been a long day. So instead of feeling a buzz of excitement, he too found himself yawning and drifting off to sleep...


	12. Chapter 12: Body Pains

Chapter 12: Body Pains

Basta stirred awake. Anna was still laying on his body, only she'd managed to roll over in her sleep. Her cheek rested on his solid chest, her arm draped over his ribs. Basta smiled, and rubbed his eyes against the morning light. But when he remembered that he and Anna hadn't done...anything... he made a face. The lady moaned and stirred, and slowly her eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened.

"Good morning" said Basta, smiling a bit.

"Oh, I am sorry!" She murmured sleepily, rising from his chest.

"No, don't be." Basta's smile widened.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep on you"

"Don't worry."

"What time is it?" She asked, looking about the room, disoriented. Just when Basta opened his mouth to answer that he didn't know, a loud banging on the door made them both jump and freeze. The person that was knocking wasn't being nice at all- they banged on the door with a hard, rapid fist. The look on Anna's face made Basta's hair stand on end. She looked absolutely _terrified. _"Landa" she mouthed, her hand shaking as her eyes continued to widen into saucers. The person outside the door banged harder.

"THIS IS THE SS! OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!" He repeated the message in German, English and French; each language as venomous and dangerous as the last. Anna seemed unable to move. Basta pushed her off his body, and looked for his escape. The window. As Anna struggled to calm herself, Basta dashed to the window and cranked it open. The pounding on the door persisted. Basta cast Anna a quick look of panic before plucking up his courage. He stared at the street below. It was a cobbled alley way, and no one seemed to be walking about below. The stones and concrete were as grey as the morning, and the streets were bone dry.

"Coming!" He heard Anna say, though her voice was shaking and terrified. She unchained the deadbolt. Basta didn't have any time. There was another pound at the door, so with his heart in his throat he acted upon impulse.

He jumped.

The pounding of the door and the SS's officer's angry shouts were left behind, and the whoosh of cold, morning air blasted past Basta's ears. He resisted every urge to scream as the ally way loomed below him. He knew that at any second he would feel the burn of pavement under his body. His fall seemed to last an eternity, but all too fast his body collided with the stone below. He yelped as his stocking feet pounded on the ground before he rolled forward, ripping the knees of his fatigues and tearing apart his skin. He let out a small, barely audible cry as fell ass over tea kettle, rolling a total of five times before grinding to a halt in the alley. He lay there for several moments, moaning in pain. He found it extremely hard to catch his breath, and his ears pounded as if the SS officer was banging on his eardrums. With a groan, he got to his feet, realising where his body was hurting: Knees, shoulder, wrists, lower back. He looked up at the second story window, at the curtains flapping in the breeze. He couldn't hear any shouting, which eased his heart rate a tiny bit. He limped forward, realising that his ankles ached and burned. As he ambled up the alley, unsure of where he was going, he felt something warm and wet dripping down his shins, tickling his skin. He looked down and saw that his knees were raw and bleeding, staining his fatigues. He groaned and limped onwards, nursing his burning shoulder.

Anna said that the SS would rip the city apart, looking for him. He felt his chest tightening in panic when he realised he had nowhere to go. He looked up and down the alley for some sort of hiding place. Further up the alley, looking on the street, Basta could see a black SS car cruising slowly. Basta cursed and darted as fast as he could on his injured legs to a basement window to his right. He punched a hole in the thin glass, cutting his knuckles, then pulled the latch, opening the window. It was a tight fit, but Basta had narrow shoulders. So with a bit of struggling and a grunt of pain, he managed to pull himself through into the darkness.

"OOF!" Basta lost his breath as he fell a good six feet, landing on a very cold stone floor. He hauled himself back up on the window sill, wincing with pain, and closed the window, before collapsing in the darkness. His stomach growled, but he ignored his hunger. The pain in his body was starting to get worse, and the bleeding on his knees wasn't stopping. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim lighting, and Basta realised that he was in a cellar. Wondering what sort of building he was in, Basta paced amongst the shelves, looking at the canned and jarred foods collecting dust on the wooden shelves. Up a few stairs was a wooden door. Basta contemplated opening it, wondering what was on the other side.

Basta waited outside the door for a long time, listening for sounds on the other side. When he heard nothing, he cautiously turned the door handle. It let out a loud _CREEEEAAAKKKK!_ He cringed, but when still didn't hear anything, he lugged his bleeding body into the new space. He was surprised when he came across a small landing. Ahead of him to his right was a narrow staircase leading down to a second landing, with two doors opposite each other. Basta noticed the doors each had a sign on them. The door to the right had a pinup girl on the sign, the second door had a drawing of a strong, sailor man on it. Curious, Basta ignored the long stairway ahead and to the left, and crept towards the landing with the doors. He looked at the door with the pinup girl on it, and then the one with the sailor. He peered inside both, noticing that they were washrooms. He chose to enter in the sailor one, as he wasn't a pin up girl.

Basta hauled himself over the tiles, and collapsed near the sink. With a groan, he started the water and stripped out of his shirt. He winced when he saw purple bruising and a nasty scrape on his right shoulder. As water ran in the sink, he wriggled out of his fatigues. Standing before the mirror in nothing but his undershorts. His knees were a mess. The scrapes were all red, and blood steamed from them in thick dark lines. It hurt to bend the knees, and Basta really had no desire to clean them out. So he ripped a hand towel in two, and tied the fabric around his knees. He slid back into his fatigues, then wet another towel and washed the scrape on his shoulder. After washing his face and re-dressing, Basta collapsed on the floor and just sighed. He but his face in his hands and wondered about Anna. Was she alright? Was she still in her apartment? Did the SS officers give her a hard time? Would she come looking for him? He howled in frustration and pain before hauling himself to his feet, with the help of the porcelain sink. He limped from the bathroom, up the stairs to the landing. He glanced up the long flight of stairs, and his curiosity got the better of him. He held onto the railing with a vice grip as he limped up the stairs. He cautiously opened the door, and found himself looking at some sort of club. The floor was polished hardwood, glossy and smooth, and there were a number of round tables with unlit lamps in the center. There was a fancy bar, and a stage.

Basta winced as sharp pain shot up from his ankles. With a whimper, he crept across the floor to the bar. Panting, now, he looked at the shelves of liquor. He grabbed a bottle of Bacardi Rum, then retreated back to his cellar.

Crouching in a shadowy corner, Basta unscrewed the cap of the rum bottle, and took a swig. Rum was his favourite, and the Bacardi was far better than anything he'd drank back in Lombrica.

With the more sips he took, the less his wounds hurt. He sat in the basement all day, and by the time the sun had set, he had sobered up from his drinking in the morning. His wounds were a numb pain, and he found it difficult to walk. But he knew he couldn't stay in the club all night, as guests would soon arrive. With a cry of pain, Basta managed to pull himself up onto the narrow window sill. He popped the window open, and squeezed out into the cool evening. He shut the window, and limped back down the alley way, back towards Anna's apartment. He craned his head and looked two stories up, below the fading sky, and saw that the window was still open. Basta didn't know what to make of that.

_Does that mean the SS officers took her away? Or is that an invitation for me to come back? _He didn't know. He crept around to the wrought iron staircase, and very cautiously climbed the steps. When he reached the door, Basta took his chances and did a soft knock.

For the longest time he stood out in plain view on the top of the narrow little staircase, but eventually the door opened a crack and Anna's face became visible.

"Basta!" She cried, swinging the door open wide. "Get inside, quick." Basta sighed in relief and limped into Anna's cozy apartment. The warm air kissed his chilly skin, and he sighed in relief.

"Are you alright?" He asked her the moment he was inside.

"I'm fine... oh my god look at you! Basta re you alright?" Anna looked extremely worn out and stressed.

"I'm a bit sore" he confessed. "I was worried about you."

"Oh your poor knees... come inside, come sit on the couch." Basta limped over to the couch where he and Anna had spent the night, and sank into the fabric.

"What did they do?" He asked, wincing a bit.

"They checked the house quite thoroughly" she murmured. "Can I get you anything?" She asked.

"Would you mind if I showered?" He asked, realising that he didn't smell very peachy at all. Anna nodded.

"Yes of course. I'll get you some clean clothes to wear."

"Thanks" Basta limped over to Anna's tidy little bathroom, and closed the door. He started the water in the shower, then stripped out of his clothes and make shift bandages. He hopped under the steaming shower, and cried out loudly in pain when the hot water stung the open scrapes on his knees. He secretly prayed that Anna hadn't heard him cry out. He bonked his head against the wall, and stood limply under the water. The stream washed over his sore, taught body and he let out a loud sigh of relief.

Basta selected the bar of soap from the side of the tub, and rolled the bar in his hands. He used the suds on his hands to clean his body and his hair. Over the rush of water, though, he heard Anna's voice.

"I'm putting the clothes on the counter! I'm not looking, I promise!" Basta smirked to himself and watched as Anna fumbled through the bathroom with a hand over her eyes. She placed a pile of folded clothes on the vanity. She accidently bonked her knee on the vanity as she tried to leave the washroom. She closed the door behind her, and Basta let out a laugh.

He hopped out of the shower, and ran a towel over his wet body. He looked at the clothes that Anna had picked out for him.

Official German army fatigues- Basta figured these were Landa's, black undershorts with a tag on them (probably from the store downstairs), and a black tee shirt, most likely from the store as well. And a pair of white socks and a black leather belt with silver rectangle buckle. Basta pulled on the clothes, and winced as the fabric of the fatigues brushed over his raw knees.

"Anna?" He called softly, exiting the washroom.

"In here, Lieben" she said. Candles were lit on the living room coffee table. Anna was in the kitchen, holding a cup of wine. "How are your knees?" She asked, sipping her drink.

"Sore"

"Alright, let's wrap them, yes?" Anna smiled and left the kitchen. She went to the washroom, and came out holding a small tin first aid kit. Basta sat down on the couch, and rolled up the legs of his fatigues. Anna knelt before him, dressed in a beautiful dark red dress with a slight collar. Also wearing her golden cross necklace. Basta felt his throat tighten. She opened the first aid kit, and selected a roll of gauze. She leaned in towards Basta's knee. Very softly, she blew cool breath onto the stinging scrape. Basta stiffened and gulped. Anna's beautiful eyes turned up, to study his face. A smile pulled over her lips. All Basta could think was how beautiful she looked, wearing that dark red dress in the flickering candle light. She gently wrapped his knee in gauze, then taped the bandage together with medical tape.

"Landa came by today" she murmured, blowing soft breath on his second knee. Basta gulped.

"Did he?" He was feeling distracted. Partly due to the fact that Anna was knelt before him on her knees. He struggled to contain his excitement, as was quite pleased with himself. "Did he come with the other SS soldier?" he asked, swallowing a tingle in his throat. His heart beat fast in his chest.

"No, he came by on his own." She glanced up at him as she wrapped the knee. "He was looking for you."

"And he went away without a problem?"

"...Yes." Anna smiled a bit, then taped the gauze in place. Basta didn't know what to make of that. "Does it hurt anywhere else?" she asked, as Basta rolled the pant legs back down. He looked at her, kneeling down on the floor before him, looking submissive yet... suggestive.

"h-here" he murmured, motioning to his shoulder. Anna cocked her head and stood up. She leaned forward, pulling the collar away from his neck.

"I don't see anything" she said. Nervously, Basta pulled his shirt off, so Anna could see the bruise and scrape on his shoulder. Anna's cheeks turned pink, and Basta noticed that her eyes flicked down to look at the abs he had, before turning her attention back at the wound. "I can't wrap that" she said, smiling a bit. "But I could kiss it better." Basta's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. _Yes, yes you could kiss it better... _Anna smiled and her eyelids lowered as she leaned over his lap to gently kiss the bruise with soft lips. He sighed. "Anywhere else?" She asked, making eye contact. Basta blinked before putting a finger to the little scrape on his chin. Anna leaned in once again, gently kissing the little abrasion. Basta's heart thudded hard against his ribcage. He felt his entire body heat up, and his stomach felt like it had turn to liquid. "Anything else hurting?" She asked. Basta nodded a bit, and pointed to his cheek. Anna frowned a bit, while keeping her smile, and as she leaned in to peck his cheek, Basta turned his head and caught her lips with his. He brought a hand up to her face, and gently cupped her cheek. She kept her lips locked with his, then gently pulled away. Lips parted and eyelids lowered, Basta examined the beautiful face before him. Anna leaned in again, sucking his bottom lip. Basta took in a deep breath through his nose and felt Anna relax slightly. She made a move to straddle his lap, and he helped her by putting a strong hand on the back on her thigh. Anna put both her hands on his cheeks, and pulled apart before leaning in again, kissing his lips in smooth, swift rhythms. Basta sighed softly, and ran the tip of his tongue over her lips. Anna allowed him inside her mouth, and their tongues entwined. Basta smiled under her mouth as he explored behind her teeth and her sweet pallet. The young lady let out a soft moan, and Basta slid his hand from the back of her thigh towards the inside. When she let out another little moan, he squeezed her gently, tightening his grip and sliding her further onto the hardness in his pants. She angled her hips and shifted his weight, gratifying Basta was a shock of sensation. He gasped in her mouth and nearly bit her from the shocking jolt of pleasure. Anna's kisses grew faster and deeper, her tongue reaching in his mouth to meet his, then coming out so she could suck his lips. He tightened his grip on her thigh before sliding it further up, into the dress. He felt the lacy material of her garters under his fingers. He followed the material further up her leg until he came to the material of her undergarments. He dared himself to open his eyes while Anna kissed his lips. Her eyes were closed, and her dark lashes brushed his skin. He closed his eyes again and removed his hand from her thigh, and moving it up to her breast instead. He began gently squeezing the soft tissue, when both he and Anna opened their eyes at the same time. Basta studied the woman on his lap, and she seemed to be doing the same thing. She gently took his hand in hers, and slid it into the V of her dress. Basta's breath caught. He slid his hand past the tight material of her bra. He made a sound, having a hard time getting past the tightness of the garment. Once he had achieved his goal, fondling Anna to the point where she sighed in pleasure, he resumed kissing her lips. To return the favour, Anna ground her lower body into his again, making his breathing catch and waver. He could barely tolerate the pressure building below his belt buckle. He wanted so badly to take Anna, right there at that moment, but there was something about the making out that he really enjoyed. Perhaps it was the building of the suspense, he thought. He withdrew his hand from the bra, and broke apart from the kiss. Very gently, he shifted his body so that Anna was on her back on the couch, and so he was in push-up position over top of her. She tilted her head back, so Basta could place kisses all down her neck. Once he returned to her mouth, he slid his hand up her dress, back to the garters she wore. Driven by the desire to please Anna, he slid two fingers over her nether regions, pulling the thong away. His fingers were wet, he noticed. He took another deep breath through his nose and kissed her with more passion, then slid a finger over her clit. Anna reacted with a gasp, and gently bit his lower lip. Basta smiled over her mouth, and repeated the action with more pressure and movement. He built a rhythm, making her breathe harder and quicker. When she finally squeezed out a moan, he slid a finger inside of her. Anna gasped and bit Basta's ear lobe, rotating her hips, silently begging him for more. Basta teased her, made her whimper, before sliding two fingers inside of her. He knew what he wanted her to do, and he wouldn't stop until she gave it to him. As if reading his mind, she finally surrendered his desire to him: she moaned his name.

"Oh, Basta" her voice was hot and full of emotion. Basta smiled and kissed her lips long and hard before absently undoing his belt with his free hand. As he fumbled to undo the button and zipper, and replaced his hand with hers, and slid her dainty hand into the hot confines of his pants and shorts. Basta stifled a gasp when the lady beneath him grabbed his piece and began to work him into a hot mess. He panted and stopped kissing his partner. He had to lower his head, tickling her chin with his hair, in order to catch his breath. He struggled to not push his hips into her hand. Her free hand gently pulled Basta's arm out from under her dress. He had become so distracted by his own pleasure that he forgot to work on his partner. She didn't seem to mind, though, as she moaned when his hand found its way to her breast. Basta knew he would come at any moment. He didn't want to cum all over her dress, so, swallowing his desire, he blurted:

"Stop!" Anna took her hand away, and opened her eyes.

"Are you going to-?" she began. He nodded and, panting, put his stiffness back into his pants. He sat up, struggling to contain himself. Anna sat up as well, and fixed her hair. Basta thought: _Oh god, I've made this so awkward! _And he nervously chewed his lower lip. But, to his pleasant surprise, he looked up to see a blushing Anna smiling at him.


	13. Chapter 13: The last Night

Chapter 13: The last Night

Anna had gotten Basta so hot and bothered that he couldn't think straight. How did she expect him to be able to fall asleep- on the couch- after she'd let him finger her?

Basta lay awake that night, staring at the ceiling of Anna's apartment.

_Why did we just... stop? Was she pleased with my skills? Oh my god... am I worse than Landa? That old bastard much have at least twenty solid years of sex under his belt. Damn it... damn it all! _

"What would you like for breakfast?" Asked Anna, smiling at him from the kitchen.

"Whatever you're having" he said, a smile flitting briefly across his face. He was so full of angst, that he found himself craving a cigarette.

"Are you alright, Lieben?" she asked, frowning a bit.

"Not really" he said honestly. He was embarrassed by his poor sexual performance. He knew, though he didn't like to admit, that he was very poor at pleasing his partner. He was always out for himself, working to bring his own body to a climax, and he often neglected what his partner wanted. He realised, with a miserable sigh, that Landa was probably much better in bed than he. Basta was so angry at himself for fucking over his first opportunity to please Anna. He wanted to kick himself.

"What's wrong?" She asked, coming over to him. She looked genuinely concerned, which made Basta feel that much worse.

"Oh, nothing, really. Never mind me."

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked. That was the first sign of self doubt she had ever shown. This surprised Basta a bit. He felt taken aback, and felt his cheeks turning red.

"_You _haven't done anything" he said, avoiding her gaze.

"What's wrong" she sat beside him and put a gentle hand to his shoulder. Basta winced a bit, and she withdrew, apologizing.

"You... you make me very shy" he said, choosing his words very carefully. A brief silence settled between them. Suddenly, Anna put her fingers to Basta's chin, and tilted his head so he would look at her.

"I only stopped because I didn't want to sleep with you the first night." As she smiled, Basta felt joy bubble inside of him. _She wants to sleep with me. She wants to sleep with me! OH MY GOD, ANNA EHRLICHMANN WANTS TO SLEEP WITH ME! Sure, she didn't want to do it right away, but she still wants to sleep with me! _He smiled, but controlled himself to an extent.

"But you... you still want to sleep with me?" He asked, his cheeks turning pink. Anna smiled, blushing as well. She couldn't answer, though, because a swift knock on the door interrupted the silence between them. Basta jumped to his feet. He glanced at the window, but shuddered. He did not, did _not _want to jump from the window again. Surly a second fall would fix him with a broken clavicle or a wrecked ankle. Anna pointed to her bedroom, and mouthed the word _closet_. Basta crept as silently as a cat to the bedroom closet, and slipped in; hiding amongst Anna's nice smelling dresses. Through the closet, he heard muffled voices from the living room. Anna didn't seem distressed, but he heard her say the name he hated most in this world.

"Hans."

So Landa was in the house. Basta's mouth curled into an angry shape, and he felt his hands balling into fists. _If I wasn't so sore, I swear I'd go out there and kill him_ thought Basta, struggling to hear the conversation. _If only I had my knife! I'd fucking stab that bastard! _

"The SS was here yesterday" he heard Anna say. "I swear I'm not hiding anyone!" Landa's voice came next, though he had lost his usual enthusiastic tone. He seemed angry, or maybe it was just because his voice was muffled. Basta tried to hold his breath, to better hear the conversation.

"What makes you think I'm searching for someone?" Asked Landa, dangerously pleasant. Basta's heart hammered in his chest. He was backing Anna into a corner. He was smart, too smart...

"I-I, I just figured" she began, her voice taking on a new tone. She sounded scared.

"Anna, are you hiding something?" Landa sounded too happy. Basta imagined him shaking a finger at a panicking Anna. He imagined that sickeningly charming smile playing over his masculine chin.

"Of course not, Hans" Anna's voice suddenly took on a new tone. "You know me better than that." Basta's stomach dropped when he realised she was trying to be suggestive. But then it all clicked. Her feminine wiles were the only means of defence she had against the other man. Basta remembered how Landa had held the apple crate full of books with ease. He could easily over power Anna. She was being manipulative in her own way, using her beautiful body to keep herself safe. Basta recalled asking Anna why she dated Landa. _Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer_. The enemy was close alright, right in the fucking living room! Probably a hand's breadth away from Anna's pretty little nose.

"You can never be too careful" said Landa. He wasn't buying it. Basta felt scared for Anna.

"Can I get you anything, Lieben?" She asked. Basta didn't hear Landa's reply. He couldn't hear much of anything, really. Basta's sore knees ached, and he found himself involuntarily sitting on the floor of the closet. He tried not to make a sound as he made himself comfortable amongst Anna's clothes. The closet smelled like perfume, and as he lowered to the floor, mothballs. Basta felt a sneeze threatening to come. He tried to ignore the tickling in his nose, but it persisted. Basta felt his eyes closing on their own, his lips parting... the sneeze wanted out! Basta clamped his fingers around the bridge of his nose sealed his mouth just as he sneezed. He made a strange _HIMP! _Sound, and suddenly his ears popped and felt painful. Basta wiped tears from his eyes and made a strange face. The scent of the mothballs tickled his nose once again. Basta rose to his feet, wiping his nose, and found that the sensation passed. He heard Landa speak.

"Why is your sofa dressed like a bed? Asked Landa. Basta froze. He began looking around the closet, for some sort of escape... directly above him was a trap door on the ceiling. It was so subtle, it was barely noticeable. "Accommodating a guest, Fräulein Anna?"

"It's the strangest thing" he heard Anna say, as he began climbing the closet shelf to get to the attic door. "My bed has been just terribly uncomfortable lately." Basta mentally encouraged Anna as he pushed the attic door out of the way. "I wake up with back pains!"

"Really now? May I take a look?" Landa was being testy. Coolness radiated from the darkness of the attic. Basta shuddered by the idea of crawling up there.

"Oh Hans, I really don't see the need!"

"Nonsense. I'll take a look for you."

Footsteps. Basta grimaced before hauling his sore, aching body up through the small entrance way. The bedroom door opened, and Landa and Anna were inside. As quietly as he could, Basta slid the door back into place, praying that Landa didn't hear.

The creak of bedsprings.

"This gives you back pains?" Asked Landa.

"Oh yes, a terrible crick in my neck." Anna's voice was off. She sounded both terrified and annoyed. Basta lay on his belly in the complete blackness, his nose tickling from the dust. Suddenly, Landa switched to German. Basta panicked. What were he and Anna talking about? He heard the creak of bedsprings once again, and Anna cry out. "NO!" She cried, her voice shrill. She continued in German, speaking rapidly.

Footsteps. Basta didn't dare breathe. He heard a creak as the closet doors were opened. His heart pounded against the dusty floor and a cold chill ran through his body.

Complete silence.

Someone rummaging below.

"T-told you" stuttered Anna shakily.

"I suppose you're right" said Landa. His voice was annoyed. He had _wanted _to find Basta in the closet.

"I told you, Colonel, I am _not _hiding anyone in my home." Anna's voice was stern.

"I never accused you of doing so" said Landa.

"Don't try to tell me that you _weren't _looking for someone. I know you were, Colonel!"

"One can never be too cautious" murmured Landa. The two left the bedroom, and their voices were fait murmurs. Basta didn't dare move until he heard the door shut and the dead bolt lock. Cautiously, he removed the door, letting light into the dusty attic.

"Basta?" Anna called, walking into the bedroom. "Are you still here? It's safe to come out now!" Basta dropped from the attic, and cried out in pain. His ankles seared in agony.

"Over here" he growled.

"Oh my god... where were you hiding? It's a miracle Landa didn't find you!" Anna had been looking out the window, at the street below.

"In the attic" he said with a cough. He brushed the dust off his fatigues.

"Wow... clever thinking."

"He thinks I'm here, doesn't he?" Basta asked, his voice low. Anna pursed her lips and made a tight nod.

"You can't stay here" she whispered, her expression saddening. Basta nodded, his heart sinking in his chest.

"Dr. Hertz told me to go to Switzerland."

"Not a bad idea..." Anna seemed stressed. She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm so sorry" she blurted, her voice broken and sad. To Basta's great surprise, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Don't cry, Anna" he said, wiping the tear away before pulling her into a hug. He rested his chin on the top of her head, murmuring _Shhh_ and rubbing her back soothingly. "It's going to be ok."

"You can stay tonight... you'll have to leave tomorrow."

Basta's stomach dropped. _Tomorrow? _

"Ok" he murmured. Anna pulled apart.

"I'm so sorry" she said.

"Don't worry about it."

Basta spent the rest of the day in a mope. Anna left for work at the embassy, and he chose to retreat back to the attic, in case Landa came back for a second search. To both his relief and his surprise, the Colonel didn't return.

When Anna got home from work, it was dark outside, and the street lights were glowing orange. Basta climbed down from the attic, and greeted Anna with a forced smile. She was carrying a baguette under an arm, and a purse in the other.

"How was work?" he asked.

"Just awful" she grumbled, dumping her purse on the floor. "The whole building has been up in arms. Your absence has caused a lot of disturbance." She cast him a look and raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations, you're quite popular amongst the Nazis."

"Yay me." He briefly raised his eyebrows.

"What should we cook for supper, hmm?" Anna washed her hands at the kitchen sink.

"Bread?" He tried, looking at the loaf sitting on the counter.

"You can't have just bread" she said with a laugh, drying her hands on a red kitchen towel. "I have some veggies in the icebox" she murmured, opening her refrigerator and peering inside. Basta almost laughed, she looked rather funny, with half her body sticking out of the strange white cupboard. "Could you be a darling and fetch some potatoes for me?"

"Sure" Basta wandered over to the square wicker basket at the counter. He gathered four potatoes, and brought them over to where Anna had spread out some carrots on the counter. She handed him a knife, and instructed him to peel. Basta obeyed. As Anna sliced the carrots, he peeled potatoes. The young lady boiled two pots of water over the stove, and dumped the sliced carrots in one. When Basta had peeled the potatoes, he helped Anna both wash and cut them into chunks. They put the potato pieces into the second pot of boiling water, and set to work setting the table.

Anna poured them each a glass of wine.

"Cheers!" She said, raising her glass towards Basta.

"Why cheers?" He asked, frowning a bit.

"Cheers to our first date." Basta blushed as he clinked glasses with Anna. They each took a sip, before straining the carrots and the potatoes. "Let's mash these" she said with a grin, straining the water from the potato pot. She placed the potato pieces on a plate, and handed Basta a potato masher. They set to work together, laughing and squishing potatoes into a mash. Basta seasoned them with salt as Anna prepared the carrot slices. As he set the table with mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, and cheese, Anna sliced the baguette. "I'm sorry, it's not much, but it's the best I could do." Anna smiled sheepishly before taking a seat across from Basta at her little table.

"It's plenty" he said, taking a slice of bread.

The two dined in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts and concerns. As Basta sipped red wine and chewed his meal, he wondered what Switzerland was like. _How will I get there? _He thought, finishing his meal. Anna's eyes flicked up at him every so often, making him blush and look away. He remembered the first day he saw her, and realised she was wearing the same plum coloured dress.

They cleared the table, nudging each other playfully with their elbows. She washed the dishes, and he dried. Basta found that he didn't have much to say. He didn't want to speak. He just wanted to sit across from Anna and look at her all night long.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way" she murmured, sipping wine. She sat on the chair opposite the sofa. Basta took a seat, taking a longer sip of his drink.

"What do you mean?" he managed to say. He knew that whatever it was Anna has to say wouldn't be very good.

"War is a terrible thing, Basta. I'm sorry that you've been sucked into this mess, and I'm sorry that you've had so much unwanted attention drawn to you." Anna's eyelids lowered and she gazed into her glass. She seemed to be lost in the dark red liquid for quite some time.

"It's better than what I've come from" he mumbled, making a face at his wine. He took a drink.

"Was it that terrible?" She asked. She seemed to be grieving.

"It wasn't good." He thought bitterly of all the times he had been Capricorn's pet. What awful memories, lurking in the dark corners of his mind. When Anna just looked at him, rather blankly (she couldn't imagine anything worse than a world where people put other people in deadly gas chambers) Basta sighed. "I'm not exactly treated very well where I come from." He cocked his head as he spoke, and his voice took on a slight edge.

"The scars?" She began, slightly lifting one of her own arms. Basta flinched. He wasn't ready to tell Anna the truth about his scars.

"It's nothing" he muttered. He drained the glass.

"Let's try to make this a happy night" she said, forcing a smile. Basta tried to nod. She was right. Why should he spend his last night in Anna's apartment moping about the life he'd left behind? He thought back to the night when he'd first met Anna, and how happy he was to be in her presence at that moment. _The most beautiful woman in the world rose a toast to our first date_ he thought, trying to cheer himself up.

"You're right" he said, making himself smile. Though fake at first, it suddenly turned real when she returned a genuine toothy grin.

"Would you like some more wine?" she asked, getting up from her seat. Basta looked up at her, and while his eyes drooped sadly, he shook his head no. He rose to his feet, approaching Anna with a sullen expression. Her eyebrows were knit in such a way that suggested she was sad as well. They came together in the dim, candle lit living room, embracing in a passionate hug. Basta held Anna close to his body before bowing his head and gently kissing her lips. Anna returned the kiss, and then nudged his nose with hers, from side to side. She backed up slowly, her arms still around his body, leading him to her bedroom. Basta's heart thudded, but he remained calm as Anna started unzipping her dress. He watched with a parted mouth as her body became unveiled for him. She wore black undergarments with a soft lace trim. She was so beautiful, it hurt for him to look. While frowning, Basta took off his own shirt. His abs were swollen from the rush of adrenaline through his body. Anna observed his body with gorgeous green eyes, and came against him, kissing his mouth and running her hands over the ridges of his abs. When her fingers found the light trail of hair disappearing into the waist of his fatigues, she followed it with her fingers until she came to her glinting silver belt buckle. She tugged the leather until it came loose, then allowed Basta to unhook her bra with nervous fingers. She angled her shoulders so that the garment would slide off easily. Basta took in a deep breath when he finally laid eyes on the beautiful set of B's that he had dreamed about for so many nights. Anna pressed her warm body up against Basta's and teased his mouth with warm, soft kisses. She backed up onto the bed, and lay on the sheets for him. Basta nervously worked the button on his fatigues loose, and stepped out of the fabric. He came onto Anna gently, and ran his hand over the soft curve of her body. She turned onto her back, and looked up at Basta from a fan of chocolate brown hair. He sighed deeply, and leaned in for a kiss. As he kissed her lips, he ran his hand up the length of her thigh, then onto her protruding hipbone. His thumb worked gentle circles around the protrusion, before it drifted up the bumps of her faintly noticeable ribs. When he finally came to her breast, he gently grazed the perimeter before dropping his mouth to Anna's neck. His mouth left a trail of kisses before it reached its destination. Very gently, almost teasingly, he took the apex of Anna's breast into his mouth, flicking his tongue over her nipple before very, very gently, making pressure with his teeth. Anna let out a moan and sigh, and she ran her fingers through Basta's soft, short hair. Basta bestowed the same treatment on her other breast before returning his mouth to hers. As they kissed, Anna taking the lead that time, Basta used his hands to slide the lady's undergarments off her hips. He rose from her face, and after he pulled the garment from her body, kissed down her belly's soft midline, all the way down to her nether regions. Anna gasped loudly as Basta went down on her. She wrapped her fingers in his short strands of hair, and resisted the urge to let out a little cry of pleasure. When Basta returned to her face, she kissed him long and hard before helping him ease out of his undershorts. Basta was so immersed in the moment of passion, that the thought of Landa didn't even enter his mind. He wasn't pestered once by the thought that maybe the older man possessed a piece that was superior to his own. Instead, he let out a small sigh of surprise when Anna rolled him over onto his back. Swollen lips parted and eyelids drooped, Basta took in the sight of beautiful Anna, perched over his body like a gorgeous, brunette angel. She slowly leaned in towards his face, kissing his lips lightly. Basta let out a very shaky sigh, and found it hard to control his breathing. The cross necklace on Anna's neck fell onto his own chest, cooling the skin momentarily. He managed to steal a kiss from her before she came onto him. Basta gasped aloud and placed his quivering hands on her soft hips. She moved slowly over him, each movement rousing a short, loud gasp, moan or sigh from his throat. Anna moved slowly, building the tension in Basta's body. He closed his eyes momentarily, struggled to contain his breathing. As she gained momentum, his breaths came louder and faster, easily slipping from his lips.

"Anna" he moaned, tightening his hands around her hips. She didn't reply, but her breathing grew quicker and sharper.

"Basta" she eventually breathed, tilting her head back slightly. The woman's body was covered in a slight sheen of sweat, much like Basta's. His hair glued to his forehead in some places, and his chest was slick with sweat. He finally let out a little cry, as the pleasure built deep inside of him. He knew he was close to coming, very close.

Basta came first, releasing the agonizing tension with a loud shout and a gasped: _"Oh God!"_. Anna came shortly after, gasping his name repeatedly. Basta's eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head from the over whelming sensations of euphoria rushing through his veins.

Though he was tired and Anna was panting, he still didn't want to stop. Before she could fully collapse on his body, Basta rolled her over, keeping the connection between them, moved his body over hers. Taken by surprise, Anna gasped and gripped his sweaty shoulder. She moaned his name as he gained momentum over her body. He made extra sure to go slowly enough to consider her needs as well as his own. He wanted to prove to Anna (and also himself) that he could be a better lover than Landa.

Panting loudly, Basta gripped Anna's right thigh, and hiked her leg up his body, making his thrusting into her much easier. Anna let out a squeak, and Basta found himself gritting his teeth before Anna cried out at her climax. It hadn't taken longer than 8 minutes, he figured. Smiling, Basta worked harder to bring himself to that level. Anna was unbelievably tight, and it didn't take long for Basta to cry out with his own orgasm.

He was too tired and exerted to even think about making love to her a third time.


	14. Chapter 14: Goodbye

Chapter 14: Goodbye

Basta awoke under the sheets with Anna laying across his chest. She was awake, her bright green eyes observing her partner's sleeping face.

"Good morning" she murmured, smiling sleepily.

"Good morning" his voice was rough and gravely.

"Rise and shine, Lieben" she said. He watched as she slid out from under the covers, her naked body looking pale and angelic in the dimness of the room.

"What time is it?" he asked. He felt un-rested and a bit grumpy.

"It's four in the morning" she said, pulling on fresh undergarments.

"Why so early?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Anna looked at him with a terribly sad expression from across the room.

"You're leaving today" she murmured. She stepped into a pair of stockings, then a pretty navy blue dress. Basta made no reply. He swung his legs out of bed, and pulled on his undershorts and fatigues. He wrestled into his tee-shirt, and stole a quick kiss from Anna before walking to the kitchen. "I bought you some clothes from the store downstairs" she said, coming into the living room. She motioned to a few garments on the coffee table.

"Thank you" murmured Basta.

"I think, before you go, it's important that we change your hair." Anna's expression was apologetic. Basta figured that everything he did was at her discretion, so he nodded. _Whatever you say, I'll do it._. He followed Anna to the bathroom, expecting her to take a pair of sewing shears to his already short hair. Instead, she told him to take off his shirt. He obeyed, a little too groggy to question anything. "Lean over the sink" she said, taking a bottle from the medicine cabinet. Basta raised an eyebrow, but bent over the sink. "The Nazis will be looking for a man with dark brown hair, around 5'6, with green-blue eyes. The least we can do is turn you blonde."

_What? How on Earth does she plan on making me a blonde? (...?) _Basta just raised an eyebrow and let Anna do her thing. She shook a bottle, then twisted off the cap. Basta smelled something terrible. He glanced up, to see what she was doing. She taking a spray nozzle from some other product, and screwing it onto the other bottle.

"Close your eyes" she said, as she passed him a wash cloth. Basta held the cloth over his eyes, and bent back over the sink. Basta felt something cold and liquid tickle his head. Anna proceeded to soak his hair with the rank smelling liquid.

"What is that?" He howled, his mouth muffled by the cloth.

"Hydrogen Peroxide" she said, keeping up the spraying. Drops were dripping down Basta's forehead, catching in the cloth. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic under the smothering cloth and the pungent smell of the peroxide. "Keep the cloth, but lift your head up, Lieben." Basta obeyed, gritting his teeth. Anna worked more liquid through his bangs.

"Are we almost done?" he asked, feeling his eyes water despite the cloth over his eyes. Anna coughed.

"Almost."

Anna had completely soaked his hair, towel dried it, then soaked it again. The whole time, Basta kept his face buried in the cloth, terrified of the fumes. After an hour in the bathroom, wreaking of peroxide, Anna towel dried his hair a second time, and instructed him to open his eyes. Basta blinked many times, and turned to see his reflection.

"OH MY GOD!" He cried, jumping in surprise. He nearly lost his shit. The wide eyed man staring back at him from the mirror was BLONDE! "Oh my God! Anna... oh my god!" He ruffled his newly dyed strands in awe. "Anna! How did you do that?"

"With peroxide" she said with a giggle. Then Basta frowned. "Will I ever be a brunette again?"

"Of course. The blonde will eventually grow out" she said. Basta continued to gawk at the pale blonde fellow in the mirror. _Just when I thought this world couldn't get any more amazing... _"Basta, stop staring at your reflection and come get some breakfast." Anna called from the kitchen. It was very difficult for Basta to tear his gaze away from the mirror and meet Anna for breakfast.

"How do we get to Switzerland?" He asked, chewing a piece of toast with a light scrape of marmalade on top.

"On foot" she murmured, wrapping the left over baguette in a dish cloth. Basta watched as she placed it in the army rucksack along with his new clothes. She filled a canteen with water as well. "It will be a long walk, probably a few weeks." She rummaged through the kitchen drawers until she finally found a small round object. "This is a compass" she said, explaining that is always pointed north. "Switzerland is to the north east." She tore a map from a book in the living room, packing it as well. Basta chewed slowly, stalling his time in the cozy apartment. "We should get going before it gets too bright out" she said. Basta swallowed what was left of his meal, and caught the black sweater jacket she threw at him. "The mornings are getting colder" she said. Basta nodded and tugged the cozy garment over his blonde head. Anna packed Basta's mints, matches and cigarettes in the rucksack as well before handing it to him. Basta jammed his feet into the army boots Anna had gotten for him, before shouldering the pack and exiting the apartment. The dim morning was cold and damp. Basta felt thankful for the sweater jacket, and for the red and black hounds tooth scarf she gave him.

The two crept out into the brightening morning, walking shoulder to shoulder up the sidewalk.

"Anna, when I was flipping through a document that Landa had given me, I saw these really strange objects. They were sort of long, but they got wide at the end..." he continued to describe what he'd seen, with great difficulty. Anna understood what he was talking about, though.

"They're called guns, Basta." Anna's voice was low. She looked up and down the street nervously. "They can kill a man with a single shot."

"What?" Basta was awed. A device that shot projectiles smaller than his finger could kill a man from a great distance away.

The two continued their journey in silence. Basta stared straight ahead, happy to have Anna's company, while her head swivelled from side to side, anxiously looking for the black SS cars that could be patrolling the streets.

It was 8 am when they reached the outskirts of the town. A long dirt road stretched out between yellow hay fields. The sky was grey blue, and seemed to go on forever along the flat horizon.

Anna whimpered about her sore feet (She'd walked for three hours in high heels!).

"This is it" she said. Her voice was weak and quivering.

"The road to Switzerland?" He asked, gazing up the long road.

"More or less" said Anna, shifting uncomfortably.

"Alright then, let's go." Basta scuffed the dirt with the toe of his boot. Anna took in a sharp little breath.

"Basta... I can't come with you."

"WHAT?" He spun around to face her as his stomach plummeted to his feet.

"I'm sorry! But you have to do this on your own!"

"Why?" he spat, his blonde bangs falling over his nose.

"I have a job to do here! I can't come with you!" She looked very close to tears. Basta couldn't believe what was going on. _How could you?" _He thought, his eyebrows shifting to a pitch that revealed such hurt. "I'm so sorry!" she repeated, her eyes growing misty.

"What is your job anyways?" Asked Basta, changing his tone. He was begging. He put his hands on Anna's shoulders, held her tight. He didn't want to let go.

"My job" she began, her voice changing as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Is to assassinate Colonel Hans Landa." Basta's hands dropped from Anna's shoulders.

"You can't do that!" He cried; a chill rose to his bones as he recalled Landa's dangerous nature. "He's too strong, too crafty! Anna, you'll get hurt!" _Or killed... _

"That's why I'm sleeping with him!" She screamed. Her voice was raw and terrified, and she began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Anna, I'll do it! I'll kill him for you!"

"You can't Basta! Information must be learned first." She calmed down almost instantly after her outburst. Her chest shook as recovered. "And right now, your job is to escape to Switzerland, and keep yourself a secret from the Nazis."

"Ok" he said. His voice was barely audible. Anna pressed some money into his hand, which he pocketed in silence.

"I'll find you" she said suddenly, her eyes glinting in the morning light. "I promise we'll meet again."

All Basta could do was nod.

"Good Bye, Basta" said Anna. They wrapped each other in a hug, gripping each other's clothes and squishing their eyes shut. She pulled away, and licked a tear away from the corner of her mouth. "Good bye." She was about to turn and leave, when a thought came to Basta. So many times she had asked about his arms, and Basta figured he owed her the truth.

"Wait, Anna!" His mind swam and he second guessed himself. But he pressed on, with his heart in his throat. "My arms... I... Anna, I made a mistake." His voice was frantic and he felt his heart pounding hard in his throat. "When I was sixteen my master Capricorn ordered us to lock a few families into a shack." He felt his face burning hot, and he feared that the tears rolling down his cheeks would boil. "I didn't even think" he stifled a sob, and muscled past a lob in his throat. "There were women and children" he began, unable to look Anna in the eye. His eyes flicked nervously around the dead fields, at the raw trees whose bare branches clawed at the dim sky. "We boarded them in the house. There was no way out." When he finally managed to look at her, he saw that she had tears welling in her eyes. "We set it on fire."

Tears rolled down Anna's cheeks.

"I had he last torch" he said, his voice taking on a new tone. He was utterly disgusted with himself. He rarely visited this memory on his own accord, and never thought he would mention it to Anna. "I stuck it through the window." He contorted his mouth, trying to contain the sob that wanted so badly to come out. The sob that had wanted to escape for five years. "They grabbed my arms, and pulled me in" he bit a lip, remembering how the blood had boiled on his skin. "My hands aren't burned because they were holding me so tight, trying to haul me into the burning shack." The tears leaked from his eyes, soaking his eyelashes and leaving trails down his smooth cheeks. "There was a baby, Anna!" His voice cracked. "She had eyes like forget-me-nots." He bowed his head and the tears streamed from his eyes. "I tried to kill myself..."

Basta's shoulders slumped. When he finally managed to look up at Anna, he felt sick to his stomach. The look of such sadness on her face was absolutely heart wrenching.

Anna shook her head. Slowly at first, than faster.

"I didn't want to do it!" he sobbed, growing nauseous. "I only did it because it was my job and I hate myself for it!" He wasn't even talking to Anna anymore. He was merely shouting at the world around him. Perhaps at the hay swaying in the cold breeze. Perhaps at the sleeping trees, listening ever so quietly. Or perhaps he was yelling at the three black crows sitting on the fence line. Anna just stared at his face, shaking her head very slightly. Then, suppressing tears, she spoke.

"Good Bye, Basta."

**A/N:**

**ANGST! Poor Basta... Remember to review! :D **

**Went Clubbing last night... I am exhausted. I am the only freak on the planet that could ever wear a turtleneck to the club. Yeah, you heard me. A turtleneck. Mind you, it had short sleeves and was made out of spandex and rode up my belly the whole time. But yea, a turtleneck. HOORAY FOR BEING A PRUDE! **

**To all you Canadians out there, HAPPY THANKSGIVING (For tomorrow)! **


	15. Chapter 15: William Mackenzie

Chapter 15: William Mackenzie

Basta had watched Anna turn her back on him, and walk away. That had been four hours ago. He himself walked in the opposite direction, licking his wounds and nursing his spastic heart. By the time he'd reached a fork in the road, he felt completely numb, from head to toe.

Basta chose the road that turned to the right. Right was east, and east was Switzerland. Little did he know that that road would lead him to something more terrible than he could have ever imagined.

_Why did I tell Anna the truth? If I were to have said nothing, she would still like me. Now, she can't even bear to look at me! Good lord, what have I done? _He walked like a zombie, dragging his sore feet, cursing his scraped knees. _You told her because you respect her. You told her because she wanted to know the truth, and because she has risked her life to keep you safe! That's why! _He sighed through his nose and plodded along. He had been walking for hours, and he began to feel rather peckish. Though he didn't want to sit on the road, in fear that the SS would suddenly drive up in their shiny black cars. And he didn't want to sit in the grass, because the ground was wet and mushy, and he didn't want his fatigues to get wet. So he just kept moving forward, his cheeks turning pink in the chilly November afternoon.

The hayfields eventually petered out to fields of long yellow grass. The fences eventually disappeared too. But there always seemed to be enough crows. Perched in the dead trees, cawing up to the grey sky. Basta shuddered. He began to wonder nervously if he had taken the correct path. _You're too far along now _he thought to himself, finally sitting on the dirt road for a meal. _You had better just keep going. _He pulled the baguette out from his bag, and broke off a piece. He stuck the chunk of bread in his mouth and chewed robotically, staring ahead at the dead yellow fields. After his snack, he packed up once again and set out up the road, grumbling miserably to himself. _I'm all lost, alone, and... BLONDE! Can it get any worse than this? _

The road to Switzerland was very, very quiet. All Basta could hear was the whisper of the wind through the grass, the crunch of rocks under his boots, the caw of the crows, and his own breathing. But around dusk, a new sound caught Basta's attention. It was a moan of pain.

"Hello?" Called Basta softly. He tried to see through the fading light, but he couldn't seem to find the source of the sound. Another moan. "HALLO?" Basta hollered in German, in case the troop was German. He began following the sound of the moans, wading through the grass, straining his eyes against the dull light. Suddenly, the grass before him was tinted a rusted orange color. Dried blood. As the grass depressed in front of him, the sounds of the moans grew a bit louder, until Basta came across a young man lying in the grass. This man was dressed completely in green, wearing fatigues much like Basta's. His thick heavy jacket was covered in pockets and buttons. Basta felt his stomach churn when he saw why the soldier was moaning in pain: his entire stomach was bleeding. Basta made a bit of a face, and averted his gaze away from the dark red stain on the man's jacket front. "Do you speak English?" He asked, looking at the pale face of the soldier.

"Of course" said the troop, wincing in agony. "I'm American!" Basta remembered the Atlas, and the country called the United States of America. "Do you have any water?"

"You're from the United states?" He asked, not really noticing the troop's request for water. The brunette soldier nodded. Basta couldn't believe it! He was meeting his first American. He quickly realised that the bleeding soldier was very young; mustn't have been a day over eighteen. "Why are you on your own?" Asked Basta.

"I was shot" spat the soldier. "They left me for dead! Damn krauts!"

"How long have you been out here for?" asked Basta. He was feeling extremely uncomfortable. He realised that the man had been tagged with one of the guns Anna had taught him about. _Anna_... Basta's heart ached for a moment, before he turned his attention back to the soldier that lay withering on the ground before him.

"Four days" he whispered.

"Four days?" Basta couldn't believe it.

"Do you have any water?" Repeated the soldier. His lips lacked color, and his walnut coloured eyes pleaded.

"Oh!" Basta quickly dug through his bag for the canteen Anna had packed him. He quickly unscrewed the lid. The American soldier held out two very shaky, blood stained hands. "Here" Basta gently tipped the canteen over the soldier's chapped mouth. The young man gulped down the cold water with great gusto.

"Thank you so much" said the troop.

"What's your name?" Asked Basta, giving the troop more water.

"William Mackenzie. Just call me Will." The young troop winced and let out another little moan of pain. Basta didn't know what to do.

"Can you walk?" Asked Basta.

"No way, man!" Will shook his head, making his helmet crunch against the dead grass. "I'm way too fucking sore! My gut's on fucking _fire_, man!" His voice was strained and a little frantic, though he kept his voice at a comfortable level. He didn't _seem _to be panicking...

"How can I get you out of here?" Asked Basta. Will's eyes shone hopefully for a brief moment, then he seemed crestfallen.

"You can't" he muttered. "I'm gunna die anyways."

"You're not going to die. I won't let that happen." Basta decided that Will was the perfect opportunity for him to redeem himself. _Though nothing will ever make up for what you did in Lombrica, this can help clear your conscience ._He thought to himself. Basta bit a lip before giving the soldier a once over, trying to judge his weight. He had clearly lost quite a bit of weight, in the four days he spent without food. And he was short, shorter than Basta. Probably about 5'5. Basta figured the young man weighed about 120 pounds.

"I already have an infection" said Will, very, very quietly. "I have a fever." Basta stared at the young man questioningly. He took the back of his hand to Will's forehead and withdrew quickly. The young soldier's skin was flaming hot. "I'm not going to make it" his tone was distorted because he was gritting his teeth against the pain. He frowned his brown eyebrows and stared up at Basta with a definite expression. Basta shook his head.

"No. I'm going to get you out of here. There's a town, just up that road. Only a five hour walk-"

"I can't move" said Will.

"I can carry you" the more Basta thought about the situation, the more unsure he felt. He didn't want to walk back to the town where Anna lived. But looking down at the kid dying the grass made Basta sigh. He made his decision. Unless... "How far away is Switzerland?" He asked. Will let out a laugh.

"Switzerland?" He shook his head a bit, and a strand of dirty brown hair fell onto his forehead. "Switzerland is a couple days... that way" Will thrust a blood soaked arm to the right. "But you don't wanna go up there" he shook his head and pressed his colorless lips together. "No way, man. That's where my squad is. They're fighting a whole mess of fucking krauts."

"Krauts?" Basta furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, Krauts." When Basta just stared at the troop, Will sighed. "The Germans!"

"Oh!" Basta pretended like he had known that all along, and had just misunderstood Will. The young brunette shook his head again.

"What's you deal, man?" His voice cracked a bit. "You're not in the army, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Damn Brit. How'd you get out?"

"I uh... I write documents on the war." Basta lied as swiftly as he could. He was very good at lying. Will just shook his head a bit before wincing and letting out a moan of pain.

"Oh God!" His face paled under the dirt smeared on his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Basta bit his lip.

"I'm fucking dying!" Cried Will.

"I'm getting you out of here." Basta shrugged into his backpack.

"Where are you going to take me?" Asked Will. He seemed panicked, but slightly relieved (if those two emotions could really mix).

"To a little town a few miles south" said Basta.

"You mean to Auleau?" Asked the troop. Basta raised an eyebrow. "You can't take me there! It's being occupied by the Germans!" Will was panicking now, his eyes wide with fear.

"Then where am I supposed to take you? You're dying! You don't have much time left! You need a doctor!" Basta rose his voice a little more than he had intended. Will's eyes saddened.

"They'll make me a POW" he said. When Basta said nothing, the young man clarified. "A Prisoner of War."

"Would you rather be a prisoner of War, or die?" Basta raised his eyebrows in question. Will's frown deepened.

"Ok, ok. Let's go. But I can't stand on my own" he said. Will looked so pathetic just then. Basta's heart actually went out for the kid.

"I'll help you." Basta swiped his blonde bangs from his face before helping Will to sit up.

Will screamed.

"OH GOD!" Cried the young man. "FUCK!" He turned his head and vomited clear bile into the grass. The stain on his jacket grew wetter and spread. "FUCK!" Basta quickly hauled the troop to his feet, trying his best to ignore the young man's screams of agony.

"You're ok, you're ok. I've got you, I've got you!" He supported Will's weight, and led him out of the grass field.

"I'm not gunna fucking make it, man! I'm gunna die! I know it! You shoulda left me there!" He slurred his words and his head fell forward. With his chin resting against his chest, he looked fast asleep. Or dead. The blood stain moved south as Basta held Will to his feet.

The afternoon light had more or less died by the time Basta had grown accustomed to Will's weight. Basta was more or less dragging the young man's dangling feet up the dirt road, back towards the town Auleau.

Will didn't utter a peep for the longest time, just the occasional moan or a complaint about how much his gut hurt. When darkness had finally fallen, and Basta's body was sore from having Will lean on him, he finally spoke.

"Will, I don't actually write documents about the war." Silence. Basta thought that Will had fallen asleep, or was simply ignoring him, when the young man responded.

"Yeah? Doesn't surprise me." He panted after uttering his words. "You don't seem to know what you're doing."

"I'm actually a prisoner myself."

"You escaped?"

"Yeah. The Nazis are looking for me." He readjusted Will's weight, winced a bit because his ankles hurt, but kept walking.

"We'll they'll get a two for one deal when we get to Auleau" he said with a dry, pained laugh. Basta didn't know what to make of Will's dry sense of humour.

Will fell asleep after four hours of walking. Basta was absolutely exhausted, but he knew he had to get Will to Auleau before morning. He couldn't imagine the soldier would live much longer with that wound. So gathering his strength, Basta scooped up Will in his arms, like he would hold a baby or a bride on the honeymoon. Basta grunted under the weight, but after re-adjusting the troop ever so slightly, he was able to continue on without much of a problem. Will's helmet had fallen off, but Basta was too tired to pick it up, and it made his load lighter.

The walk to Auleau took six hours with Will instead of five. When Basta finally reached the small city, he began in the direction of the hospital. At that point, he was too exhausted and sore to even worry about being captured by the Nazis. Basta had considered taking Will to Anna's apartment, but he didn't want to put her in any danger. Plus, he knew the way to the hospital on his own. He'd seen it when he and Anna had left the city.

"Will, wake up" Basta gave his accomplice a little nudge. The man didn't stir. Terrified that the soldier was dead, Basta shook him harder. Will moaned.

"What?" He asked, his voice a weak little squeak.

"We're here" Basta eased Will out of the honeymoon hold, and they resumed the shoulder support position. The hospital lights were like a beacon of hope in the black night. Following the streetlamps up to the entrance way, Basta saw that Will was smiling.

"Thank you so much" he wheezed, trying very hard to move his feet.

"Don't worry about it" murmured Basta. He swung open the doors to the hospital, and blinked his eyes against the light. A nurse at the front desk gasped in horror and called for someone down a hallway. Basta dragged Will into the lobby, and passed off the soldier to a French doctor dressed in a white robe.

"God Bless you" said Will, before he was hauled onto a gurney. Basta just made a little smile as he watched the American disappear on the stretcher to an operating room. Before anyone could come up to him and ask questions, Basta darted out of the hospital with what little strength he had left, making his second escape from the city of Auleau.

**A/N:**

**Hey, guys! I would like to thank the only two fans of this story for reading and reviewing! Basta's Girl and Insanepyro, you guys are great!**

**And just so I can get an idea: What was your guys' favourite chapter? **


	16. Chapter 16: Death

Chapter 16: Death

Basta slept outside, in the hayfield outside of Auleau. Though he was bundled up in a sweater jacket and scarf, he found it hard to fall asleep because he was very cold. When he finally did manage to sleep, though, Basta had dreams about Anna. In some dreams she would be happy to see him, and the terrible awkwardness that had previously been introduced did not exist at all. In other dreams, Anna was angry and would throw objects at him from across Landa's hotel room. Basta awoke shortly after sunrise, only to find little shards of frost collected on his jacket and the hay surrounding him. Shivering, Basta ate baguette for breakfast, but cursed when he realised that he had given all his water to Will. He began the long hike north, hoping he could make better progress than he had yesterday.

As Basta walked, he thought to himself about all the women in his past history. He had only ever been with a total of four girls (well, four that he could _remember _by name, anyways).

The first was named Mary. She was a soft spoken young lady with tawny hair and rosy cheeks. They had both been fourteen when Basta had kissed her. Mary had said to him: "Basta, your breath is terrible!" And she refused to kiss him until he had nice smelling breath. That was how his obsession with peppermint had started.

The second girl was named Adeline. Basta remembered with a grimace the first girl he had ever slept with. She was- now in retrospect- very poor in bed. She was highly strung and had wild poker straight hair the color of burnt sienna. They had slept together a number of times, from when he was seventeen to nineteen.

The third girl was called Evelyn, the one he had fucked in Capricorn's bedroom. Blonde and 7 years younger than he.

The fourth (_and by the looks of it_, he thought, _last_) was Anna. And by far she was the finest of all four girls. Not only did she have exceptional skill in bed, the best physique, and smelled the best, but she had managed to do something none of the other girls had: touch Basta's heart. Basta had a bit of a connection with Adeline, but he mistreated her and shoved her around. He would _never _shove Anna around.

Walking robotically and guided simply by his feet, Basta came across a sign planted between a number of different branches in the road.

_**ITALIE, LA SWISSE **_

Basta didn't know which way to go. The road that took a hard right was labelled _ITALIE _and the one straight ahead _LA SWISSE. _Basta figured he would just keep going straight ahead.

It was dusk when Basta found the body.

Lying in the center of the road was a Nazi. It was quite obvious that the handsome young man had been shot in the head. His helmet lay beside him on the road, next to his open hand. Basta was shivering at that point, from the chill in the November air. He stood before the body for quite some time before coming to the decision that he wanted that corpse's jacket. Bending down to unzip the fabric of the field jacket, Basta was over whelmed by the stench that surrounded the body. He gagged, and held his breath as he tugged the jacket off the dead soldier. Stumbling back a few steps and gasping for air, Basta waved the jacket about, flapping it the cold November air. He stared at the corpse a while before shrugging into the jacket. The material was thick and stiff, but kept most of the chill out. Basta stood on the road in his new jacket for quite some time, just staring at the dead body, which was now dressed in fatigues and a dirty white tee shirt. Basta's eyes rested on a gun that was strapped to the soldier's hip. He recognized it as a handgun from the document Landa had given him. Curious, Basta approached the body. He bent down, while squeezing his nostrils shut, and tugged the weapon from the young man's leg. He retreated quickly and examined the cold metal gun that burnt his hands with its chill. It was heavy, and gave Basta a strange feeling to be holding it. Though he had no experience with guns, Basta figured out how to use it very fast. After pulling the top part of the gun backwards, until he heard a click, Basta could pull the trigger and the gun would make a deafening noise and cause his hand to fly backwards. The gun made him nervous, and he didn't particularly like it. He couldn't see the projectile leave the barrel, so he knew it was going very, very fast. He aimed the gun at the soldier's helmet, and pulled the trigger. The helmet made a loud _KNOCK _Sound, and it jumped in the air before flipping backwards. Basta felt his heart pound faster, and his palms accumulated a great amount of sweat. Curious, he aimed the gun at the dead body. With his finger drifting over the trigger, Basta felt his stomach knot. He wanted to see what the gun would do to the tender flesh of the young man, but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. His stomach churned at the thought of harming the already dead soldier. He didn't want to ruin it. So, with a shaky sigh, he slipped the gun into his rucksack and padded over to the dead troop. A pair of dead, blue eyes stared up at the fading sky. The young man's mouth was parted, and his perfectly straight teeth looked dry. Basta swept a hand over the young man's dirty face, closing his eyes. The dead soldier's blonde eyelashes rested together. Basta made a face, as the smell of the decaying body was very foul. He figured the young man must have been dead for a day, no more. Basta stepped around the young man, and continued up the path. As he walked away, he wondered if that was the German that had shot Will.

It was dark when Basta came to a slight change in scenery. On the darkened horizon, he saw the black outlines of the Alps. On either side of the road, aspen trees were beginning to grow in scattered bunches, amongst the tall dead grass. The faint sound of popping was slightly audible. Basta didn't know what the sound was. He continued up the dark path, fatigue beginning to take its toll on his muscled legs. Panting slightly, he paused several hours later. The popping sound had gotten louder, and a few sparks flashed in the distant field. As he walked further, he could hear the yelling of men, some screams, and the popping grew louder and louder. Nervous, Basta darted into an aspen thicket, and crouched in the tall grass. He used his rucksack as a pillow, and listened to the popping and screaming until he fell into a light, uneasy sleep.

When Basta awoke, the dawn was as red as blood. The morning was cold, and his jacket was stiff from the frost. Shivering, he got to his feet and brushed the white crystals from his sleeves. Stubble was beginning to show on his jaw, and he felt uncomfortable from his lack of cleanliness. And thirsty. Basta's lips were chapped, and his tongue felt like a dry, foreign object in his mouth. _How long has it been since my last sip of water? _He wondered, his boots crunching over the frosty grass in the thicket. With the pink sky over his head, and a vast yellow field before him, Basta felt a sense of hopelessness wash over him. Switzerland seemed like an unattainable goal in a future that looked very bleak. As he walked through the field, Basta wrinkled his nose when a sharp metallic smell wafted through the air, along with the scent of burning grass and something he couldn't place. The blades of grass before him began to flatten, and were streaked with red and black. Greasy, blue smoke plumed from the grass, and the sounds of moans of pain became audible. Basta's stomach twisted. He walked on, and saw an army jeep parked in the middle of the field. Several soldiers in American Uniforms were milling about, hauling bodies around.

"HELLO?" He called, when he saw an American holding a big rifle walk towards him. His call caught the attention of several other troops. They all turned to him, their rifles drawn.

"GERMAN?" Called the man closest to him, the rifle held up to his face.

"No, no! I'm British!" Basta held his hands up, then remembered that he was wearing a German jacket.

"You're wearing a German jacket!" Called the young fellow, tromping through the grass towards Basta.

"I'm British! I promise I'm not German." Basta tried to talk, despite his nervousness, to show the American that he spoke with a supposed British accent. The soldier lowered his gun, and stared at Basta from under the visor of his green helmet. He had a small, square chin, and kept his lips parted, showing off glossy and slightly overlapped front teeth.

"What's your name?" Asked the soldier. He was six feet from Basta, and kept his rifle slightly lowered.

"My name is Basta" he said. "I'm not a soldier, I'm on my way to Switzerland."

"Switzerland?" The troop frowned slightly, then shrugged. He lowered his rifle completely and stood before Basta, exuding a sort of confidence Basta had never seen before. The young soldier shifted a bit before nudging his helmet up away from his eyes. Basta caught a peak of the young man's light brown eyebrows. With a start, he realised that the troop looked incredibly similar to Will.

"I was sent by a woman working for the allies" said Basta. He adjusted the weight of his backpack and ran his dry tongue over the roof of his mouth.

"Oh yeah?" The soldier seemed a bit distant, but intent on doing his job. Exhausted, yet energetic, if the combination was possible.

"Do you know William Mackenzie?" asked Basta. A shot in the dark, but the two looked so similar, he figured he would give it a try. The soldier's face changed. His eyes locked on Basta's face. His chin dropped a bit, showing off both rows of teeth. He seemed unable to speak, then finally blurted.

"Yes! He's my brother!" He seemed dumbfounded.

"I found him in a field outside of Auleau." Basta watched the soldier's face change. A thousand emotions ran through the young man's hazel eyes.

"Is he..." the troop's voice trailed off.

"He's been shot." Basta continued carefully. "I carried him from the field to a hospital in Auleau." He thought of the water he had given Will. "He's alive, and the doctors tended to him right away."

"Thank you" said the soldier. He gazed into Basta's eyes with such gratitude that Basta felt uncomfortable. "Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?"

"Could...could I have some water?" He asked shyly. The soldier standing across from him didn't seem to hear or understand the request, then quickly exclaimed "oh!" and pulled a canteen from his rucksack. He handed it to Basta, who greedily gulped down the cold liquid.

"Are you alright?" asked the soldier, watching as Basta gasped with pleasure as the cold water gushed down his throat.

"Thirsty" he said through gulps "and hungry." He wiped the water from his lips, and handed the canteen back to the troop. "I've been walking for a few days straight.

"No kidding" the soldier replaced the canteen, then gave Basta a good long look. Basta shifted in discomfort, then the soldier spoke. "Thank you very much for saving my brother."

"It was nothing." Basta studied the soldier. He could really see the similarities between the two brothers. Both had light brown hair, and were short in physique. The solder standing in the field, though, had sharper eyes and more crooked teeth. Both were handsome, but the one Basta was speaking to in the field was the better looking of the two. He was obviously older, and his nose wasn't a swollen looking as Will's.

"It wasn't nothing" said the troop. "We're headed to Switzerland, to take our wounded to a hospital. You can tag along too. It's the least I could do."

"That would be wonderful" said Basta, feeling his spirits perk for the first time in a long while. He followed to wiry young man through the tall grass, towards the Jeep.

"My name is Robert, by the way" said the soldier.

"You look a lot like your brother" said Basta awkwardly, glancing around the battle field. Burnt and flattened grass extended for quite a distance, and many bodies lay dead on the yellow grass. American troops were digging graves in the frozen ground, and tossing a dead Germans into them.

"Yeah, I suppose we do." Robert slung the rifle over his shoulder and walked towards the Jeep. "Do you think he'll be ok?" his face showed blatant concern. Basta felt his stomach sink. He didn't want to tell Robert that his little brother was in German hands.

"I think the doctors will take good care of him" he said simply, trying his best to smile.

"I hope they send him home... where was he shot, Basta?" Robert was frowning. His helmet, which was obviously too big for his head, slumped down over his eyes again.

"He was shot in the belly" said Basta, remembering all the blood. He remembered how Will had been convinced that he was going to die. "He seemed to be handling the pain very well." This was true. Will had grit his teeth, moaned in pain, and swore a few times. Though he wasn't at all very optimistic, he managed to avoid bawling and hollering. Or maybe he was just too tired for that. Robert nodded and nudged the brim of his helmet away from his eyes.

"Good" was all he managed to say.

Robert said that they would be moving out when they had buried all the dead Germans. Basta nodded and helped several Americans carry the limp bodies over to the individual graves. He watched as troop after troop was dropped into the frozen ground. Dead faces staring up at the pink and blue sky. It took a few hours, but finally the field was covered with dark brown rectangles. The graves covered the field in no apparent order, and Basta wondered about the families of the young men.

Though he himself didn't have a family, he knew that Capricorn would be disappointed if he heard that his right hand man had been killed in a battle. Basta wondered how Anna would feel if she heard he had been shot. _Probably happy _he thought bitterly. _After what I did to those people, I deserve to die._ He climbed into the bed of the jeep with a crowd of American soldiers, and sat beside Will. The jeep bumped over the field then onto the dirt road, driving on towards the Alps.

**A/N:**

**Guys, I am SO sorry it has taken so long to update! I had the craziest weekend EVAR and I've been seriously ill since yesterday. I hope you like to chapter. I'm sorry it's so short. I've just been so busy lately! Thanks for being so patient, and thank you for sending reviews and messages. They make me happy. **

**Read my blog! It's on my ****Homepage**_**. **_


	17. Chapter 17: Switzerland

Chapter 17: Switzerland

Basta had managed to nod off in the back of the jeep; his chin slumped against his chest. He awoke the growling of his own stomach, and hunger pains on the insides of his ribs. Will Mackenzie's brother, Robert, was sitting next to Basta. He nudged the rim of his helmet away from his eyes and drummed his fingers on the metal of his rifle. Basta blinked his eyes and took a look around. It was a very bleak day, and the sky lacked color. As they approached the mountains, the clouds thickened and the air grew chillier. Basta was thankful for the field jacket, but he noticed that the other American troops were staring at him uneasily. Eyes were constantly on him, but quickly flitted away when he made contact. Basta shifted in discomfort. Surly he looked a bit like a Nazi, with his blonde hair and all. He gazed at each of the faces in the back of the jeep with him. Most were very young; none of them seemed to be over 25 years old. They all had dirty faces, and looked a little on edge. One sitting at the very rear of the vehicle was rocking himself in self comfort, while thumbing the dog tags around his neck. Basta looked away and focused his attention on Robert's combat boots. They were muddy and worn, and the laces were frayed. Even his canvas leggings were mud splattered and tattered. The cuff of his right sleeve had some blood around the edge, and Basta wondered who had bled on the young man.

"Are you ok?" asked Robert, rather quietly. Basta nodded. His stomach growled loudly, but Robert didn't comment. By then they had reached the foothills of the Alps. Thick green pine trees grew on either sides of the road, and Basta noticed they were driving on a bit of an incline.

"How much longer?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable around all the deathly quiet Americans. Robert shrugged.

"A day or so, I guess." The helmet fell back over his eyes, and he impatiently pushed it back up. "Do you know where you need to go?" asked the young man in his soft voice. Basta shrugged.

"No. I was just told to go to Switzerland."

"Well then." Robert raised his eyebrows. "If you want us to stop somewhere, just let me know"

"Thanks" Basta spoke quietly, and continued to look at the scenery around him. The trees were getting taller, but not quite tall enough to block out the view of the moist grey sky. Basta thought of the Wayless wood, and how massive the trees were. Five men holding hands couldn't surround the trunks of some of those massive trees. And for the first time, Basta felt homesick.

The American sitting across from Basta nudged a Jerry can with his boot. Other soldiers shuffled in their seats. One puffed away on a cigarette. Another was sound asleep, with his head slumped against the shoulder of the man sitting next to him. When Basta turned to look at Robert, he saw that the young man was holding a rumpled black and white photograph of a young lady. Basta peeked at the woman on the photograph, and noticed that she was very pretty. She had an oval shaped face, and long, dark, poker straight hair spilling past her shoulders. Her beautiful "M" shaped lips were parted, and her attention didn't seem to be fixed on the photographer.

"Who is she?" Asked Basta. Startled, Robert jumped a little. He looked at Basta, then down at the photograph, which he quickly stuffed into the breast pocket of his jacket.

"My very, very, very best friend" said Robert. It seemed to pain him to say that. Basta didn't know what to make of the young man's reply.

"She's nice looking" he said. He wanted to catch another glimpse of the photograph, but he knew he couldn't. Robert smiled a bit, and nodded.

"She's very beautiful." Basta found himself nodding as well.

"What's her name?" Basta was impressed with the beauty of the women on Earth. They made Ombra's finest look like dogs!

"Olivia." Robert's voice almost, _almost_ cracked. Basta thought to himself that Olivia was the second woman he'd met on Earth, even if he hadn't seen her in person. _Anna and Olivia_... "Do uh, do you have a girlfriend?" Asked Robert.

"Sure." Said Basta, nodding a bit. "Well, it's complicated."

"What's her name?"

"Anna." Basta smiled. He hadn't spoken the name in so long...

"She British too?"Basta had to think for a moment, not understanding Robert's question.

"Oh!" he said quickly, understanding. "No, no, she's German." Some of the troops raised their heads. Basta cringed a little.

"A German?" Robert seemed a bit surprised.

"Yeah." Basta grumbled. "Like I said, it's complicated."

Silence.

Basta realised that he looked really suspicious.

His eyes were such a shade of green that they could almost appear to be blue.

His hair was dyed Blonde.

He was wearing a German army jacket.

He was dating a German woman.

_If it weren't for the accent_, he thought, _they would have you shot in a heartbeat! _Basta groaned to himself.

It was dark when the jeep stopped. The forest was thicker, so the dusk seemed darker than it would be in the field. The troops all hopped out of the truck, and wandered into the forest to pee or smoke.

"Stay close!" called Robert. He was obviously the man in charge, and his jacket insignia indicated that he was a Lieutenant.

"How old are you?" asked Basta, accepting a water canteen from Robert.

"22" he said. He yawned and growled in frustration when the helmet fell over his eyes again. "It was my birthday a few weeks ago."

"Happy belated" said Basta. He stuck a cigarette into his mouth, and offered one to Robert. The Lieutenant shook his head.

"So what's the deal with you and this Anna?" Robert sipped some water and scuffed the dirt with the toe of his boot. Basta frowned and took a drag before replying.

"Everything was great, then I sort of pissed her off. We don't talk anymore."

"Women" muttered Robert, shaking his head. Basta shrugged. He didn't want to talk about Anna.

"How long have you been seeing your girlfriend?" He asked Robert. Basta watched the young man's face change in the diffused light. He seemed somewhat upset.

"She's not really my girlfriend" he said. "It's really complicated."

"How long have you known her for?"

"16 years" said Robert. A smile flitted across his parted lips.

"Really? That long?" Basta raised his eyebrows. Robert made a little nod before calling all the troops back to the truck. Darkened figures came in from around the trees, orange cigarette butts glowing orange in the darkness. Everyone climbed back into the bed of the vehicle, yawning and talking amongst themselves. The jeep started and rumbled along the road, continuing towards the mountain pass.

The soldiers shared their K-Rations meal, and Basta got a few bites of some very strange food. He liked the saltine crackers best, though they made him very thirsty.

Basta fell asleep with ease after his meal, despite the bumping of the truck.

The next morning passed without much excitement at all. The American's hadn't warmed up to Basta, and no one really said much of anything. When noon rolled around, though, the sky was fine and blue and the sun shone brightly. Basta had wriggled out of his field jacket, and Robert announced that they were approaching the Swiss border. Basta felt himself smile. _Would Anna be proud to learn that I've made it to Switzerland? _He wondered. A few soldiers murmured and smiled. Basta looked around at the rich green trees. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought it was springtime!

"Oh shit" muttered Robert under his breath.

"What?" Basta craned his neck around the cab of the truck to see what Robert was looking at. Then he saw it too: four German soldiers guarding the road.

"Fuck me sideways" muttered Robert to himself, before tapping the back window of the truck, to alert the driver. The truck slowed to a halt, and the Germans walked over. Basta felt himself sweating and his heart hammered in his chest. Would they recognize him? What would they do? His face was twisted into a look of panic. Robert hopped out of the bed of the truck. The soldiers all shifted in discomfort, looking anxiously at one another.

"Sprechen sie English?" Asked Robert, staying close to the truck. The Germans all looked at him, and one approached. Basta looked away, scared that they would notice his face and yell at him. Robert spoke with one of the soldiers, in English, and motioned to the truck a couple times. Basta heard snippets of the conversation _Injured...soldiers...medical...neutral country... _Basta knew the conversation wasn't going well because a second German approached Robert and they were raising their voices. Basta's hand drifted to the gun in his backpack. He didn't want to use it... but...

A German drew a handgun from the holster on his thigh, and aimed it at Robert, who swore loudly. Before anyone else in the truck had done as much as reach for their rifles, Basta had drawn the weapon from his bag and shot at the man aiming at Robert. He fell to the ground, bleeding from the chest. Basta gaped at the man he had just killed, and heard the soldiers in the truck loading their guns. Robert open fired, along with the Germans. Basta shot his gun as well. The fight lasted no more than a minute, and when it was over, all found Germans lay dead on the road.

"Holy SHIT!" Swore the troop sitting to Basta's right. "Where the fuck did that come from?"

Basta babbled like an idiot, not sure what to say. Robert hopped into the truck, and the jeep bumped along the road, leaving the four dead soldiers where they lay.

Basta didn't know how he felt about the situation. He surly wasn't proud, but he felt happy that he had managed to save Robert's life. He was absolutely shocked when the Americans all thanked and congratulated him. Robert sat beside him, and thanked him profusely.

Basta smiled all the way though the pass.

It was midnight when the troops reached an inn in Switzerland. Everyone hopped out of the truck, and headed for the bar. Some soldiers went to a room to sleep, but many chose to party downstairs in the bar. At first, Basta had just wanted to sleep in a bed again, but Robert insisted that he had a drink downstairs, to celebrate his actions.

Through Robert's eyes, Basta was a hero. Not only had he rescued his little brother, but he had saved his own life. Basta felt uncomfortable with all the praise the young man was giving him, but he couldn't complain, either. The lieutenant bought him a beer, and raised a toast in his name.

Shyly, Basta took a swig from his cup. Several other bar goers, some were women, joined in on the toast and raised their drinks as well. Basta couldn't help but ogle at the beautiful Swiss women in the bar. They were all blonde, and the one he had his eyes on in particular wore her hair in a short braid down the back of her neck.

The drinks kept coming, and coming and coming. Basta was beginning to feel woozy and intoxicated by the time the lady with the braid come over to talk to him.

"Hi" she said, batting her long blonde eyelashes.

"Hai" Basta smiled and tried to focus on her face. The floor beneath his feet seemed to be sliding, and his throat felt warm. He smiled gleefully when the girl leaned in, showing off her full bust, and said her name.

"My name is Alessandra" she said. She smiled her full lips, and Basta noticed a couple freckles on her pretty face.

"I'm Basta" he said. He swayed on his feet a little, and smiled in amusement.

"Nice to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too!" Basta took another sip of his drink.

"Do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?" Asked Alessandra. Basta's eyes widened, and he found himself laughing and smiling.

"No, I don't!" Alessandra smiled.

-x-X-x-

Basta's sexual performance was extremely deterred by his alcohol intoxication. At first, it took him a very, very long time to actually get an erection. Once he finally got aroused, he had a hard time keeping his erection. Alessandra kissed and groped his body, but Basta didn't participate much in the activity. He just lay there, drunk and heartbroken, pretending that Alessandra was Anna. The girl straddling his hips was panting. She unzipped his pants, and tugged them down. Basta just groaned. But when Alessandra bent down, taking him inside her mouth, he gasped loudly.

"ANNA!" he cried, gasping with pleasure. Alessandra stopped.

"Anna?" She asked, her voice rising with horror.

"Uhh.." Basta's eyes widened. _Oops. _

"I'm not Anna!" Basta zipped himself up with fumbling fingers, and felt his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. "And you're not blonde either!" She huffed. Basta was so humiliated he didn't know what to do. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" She hollered.

"Jesus! You fuck" Basta got to his feet. He figured Alessandra was being too touchy. He glared at her as he left the room.

**A/N: **

**Still...sick...GAH! Here's a rather crummy update! My stomach pains have been distracting me. I'm no longer in the zone... thanks so much for the wonderful review, Basta's girl! And thanks for commenting, Insanepyro. I appreciate it! **

**Also... **

**You can read my blog! It's on my ****Homepage****. It has pictures! Lol **

**Thanks guys!**


	18. Chapter 18: A home for Basta

Chapter 18: A home for Basta

Basta awoke to someone nudging him with their boot.

"Wakey-wakey" said the man's voice. Basta groaned. He opened his eyes, and found himself looking up at Robert. The man smiled a bit. He wasn't wearing his helmet, so Basta could see the man's light brown hair, which was parted down the middle and splitting into two little bangs that flipped over opposite sides of his forehead. A cowlick in his hair made a strand stick almost straight up on top. "Long night?" Asked Robert, adjusting the collar of his white tee shirt. He had his jacket draped over a strong looking arm.

"Sure, I guess" Basta rubbed his forehead. He noticed that he was slumped against a wall in a hallway... how pathetic. _Oh well, at least it's not the gutter_ he thought. Oh, too many times he had woken up in the gutter in Ombra. Basta yawned and stumbled to his feet. Robert smirked in amusement.

"Didja get laid?" He asked. His hazel eyes danced in amusement. Basta wrinkled his brow and curled his mouth in distaste.

"Not quite" he muttered. Robert tilted his head back and let out a handsome laugh. Basta felt his cheeks turning pink. As Robert shrugged into his field jacket, Basta recovered from his embarrassment. "Did you?" He asked, hoping to take the spotlight off of himself.

"No" Robert shook his head and put a hand over his left breast pocket, where Olivia's photo was undoubtedly hidden.

"I see..." Basta felt like more of an idiot. Robert's dog tags jingled as he zipped up his green jacket. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I've gotta get my squad out of here." He sighed. "I'm not technically qualified to lead this squad. I need to get to the rendezvous."

"What happened?"

"The corporal died in action." When Basta didn't reply, Robert sighed. "Along with the sergeant."

"Ah" Basta pretended he understood. Robert sighed, like there was an extremely heavy burden on his shoulders.

"So what are you doing in Switzerland anyways?" Asked Robert.

"I'm not even sure" muttered Basta. "I was just told to stay hidden from the Nazis."

"Sounds like a decent plan" chuckled Robert. "Why aren't you in the army?"

"It's really a long story"

"Alright" said Robert. He smiled his handsome lopsided grin.

"When are you leaving? What time is it anyways?" Basta rubbed his aching head with a flat hand, and yawned. In retrospect, he was ashamed of his encounter with Alessandra. What was he thinking? Basta mentally scolded himself. Even though he and Anna weren't together... even if he was probably dead to her... he still felt connected to her in some way. He wanted to slap himself for trying to sleep with Alessandra. So, with his pride in the gutter, he decided that it was best that it didn't work out between he and Alessandra.

"It's 6:45. And we're leaving at 7."

The two men walked down the stairs, back into the hotel lobby. The American soldiers were standing around, yawning and rubbing their eyes. Some looked sullen and sad, others looked completely indifferent. Basta shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. There was something about looking at all the young men that would almost certainly die that made Basta's skin crawl.

"So uh, good bye, then" Robert sighed, and held his hand out for Basta. Basta shook the young man's warm, dry hand and tried to smile.

"Good luck out there." Said Basta awkwardly. He slid his hand out of Robert's and looked into the Lieutenant's hazel eyes. An extremely awkward moment passed, then Robert seemed to squirm under Basta's gaze.

"Thank you for all you've done" said Robert, sighing. "I appreciate all you've done for my brother and I. You are a hero to my family." Basta blushed, and suppressed a smile. "Alright" Robert grit his teeth, then tapped Basta's arm.

"Don't get shot" said Basta, as the lieutenant walked away. Robert turned and laughed, as dryly as his brother had, and shook his head slightly before returning to his squad. Basta sighed, then left the hotel. He didn't want to have to look at Robert or the squad of young men.

Basta trekked up the road, not entirely sure where he was headed. He clutched the German field jacket closer around his body, as the day was damp and chilly. As he walked, Basta thought of Robert, and that photo of Olivia. Apparently, Robert had known her since he was six years old. Why wasn't she his girlfriend? He obviously loved her... did she love him back? Or was their situation the same as Basta and Anna's? Basta sighed loudly as he thought back to his beautiful not-girlfriend. His heart ached as he remembered the night they had slept together. He wanted to groan out loud at the memory of her beautiful body... Then he did groan aloud, and felt something tighten in his throat. Basta had to strain to keep the corners of his mouth from falling too low. He blinked his eyes rapidly, angry at himself for getting so emotional over a _woman_. But it wasn't just any woman... it was Anna. Basta swore under his breath. He quickened his pace up the path, and thought more about Robert, and his peculiar mannerisms. _A mystery wrapped in a riddle _thought Basta. _But then again, I'm no good with people. _Basta's mind wandered as he walked up the lonely road. On either of his sides were thinning trees, and eventually small farmer's fields. Up ahead, he noticed, was a small village. Exhausted and cold, Basta felt hope rise in his chest at the sight of the town. He figured it would be a good idea to hide there, as Anna would want him to do. Again, Basta wondered if she would be proud of him. _Probably not _he thought miserably.

When he finally made it to the small town, Basta noticed that Auleau looked like a grand city in comparison to that place. Though the Swiss village was extremely clean, the buildings weren't as tall, and there were no fancy wrought iron benches.

Basta grimaced as a light, misty rain began to fall through the cold air. The few pedestrians walking up the sidewalks cast him looks. _It's probably because of the jacket _he thought miserably. So he quickly stripped out of it, and folded the thick, canvas-like material and stuffed it into his rucksack.

He continued up the road, shivering bitterly, looking for a place to stay. To his right, warm orange lights were glowing behind a window. Basta peered in, and realised that it was a restaurant. A fireplace was crackling against the left wall, and the walls were painted a rich red color. Basta opened the door, bells jingled, and a head poked up from behind a counter at the far end of the room.

"Hullo?" Called the young man from behind the counter. Basta sighed in relief as the warm air caressed his chilled skin, before answering.

"Hi!"

"How can I help you?" The young man stepped around the counter, and quickly strode across the worn oak floor on long legs.

"To be honest, I was wondering if I could get a job here." Basta surprised himself. _I'm looking for a job now? _He asked himself. _Where did that come from? _He felt as though his verbal/mental filter had been shut off. So he just went along with his own story, trusting his own instinct.

"A job, huh?" The young man, Basta noticed, had such dark auburn hair that it almost appeared to be dark brown in color. He had long, narrow and angular eyebrows, and very dark brown eyes. His skin was soft and white, and he stood at around 5'11. He had a lean, wiry frame and only small amounts of muscle tone on his arms. "Well my father would be the person to talk to if you're looking for a job." He slung a white towel over his shoulder and scuffed the floor with his shiny black shoe. "What's your name?"

"Basta" he answered, eyeing the fireplace.

"Alright, Basta. You can have a seat. I'll go find my father." The young man smiled, then strode across the room once again to a backroom. Basta walked over to the fireplace, forcing himself to move slowly. Then he sat on ledge and let the fire suck all the moisture from his back. He sighed in content, closed his eyes, and let the heat embrace his cold body. The moment didn't last long, though, because the back door opened and an older, greying man came out, with the wiry redhead behind him. Basta stood up, brushed some ashes off the seat of his pants, and approached the older man.

"Hi" said Basta, slightly awkwardly. He wasn't used to using manners. "My name is Basta. I was wondering if I could possibly work for you." He tried his best to smile at the short man standing before him. The redhead stood behind the old man- his father- and looked around the room, in a sort of bored daze. He had a long-ish face, and an angular jaw. He looked quite different from the old man he stood behind, who had a round belly and a stouter build.

"That's what Daniel told me" said the old guy. Basta frowned for a moment, confused, before it clicked. Daniel was the redhead. Hearing his name, the young man's eyes stopped their journey around the room. He looked at the back of his father's head, then relaxed and let his gaze wander once again. Basta felt uncomfortable when Daniel's dark chocolate colored eyes rested on him for a moment. He felt the young man studying him, taking in the details of his scarf, his scruffy blonde hair, and of course the brown stubble growing on his jaw. "We don't have much need for extra hands in the restaurant, but we could use some help catering. I'm getting too old, and it's too much for Daniel here to do on his own." The old man rubbed the grey stubble on his sagging cheeks and he contemplated Basta's request.

"That's fine with me..." Basta nodded encouragingly. _Anna would be so proud if she knew I was getting a job_. Basta almost smiled in glee. And this job didn't involve plundering or murdering. Excellent.

"You look like you could carry some heavy loads" the old man frowned a moment, then his entire face relaxed. "Yeah, yeah, you've got the job." He swatted his hand away from his own face before holding it out for Basta to shake. "My name is Markus VanDosen."

"Thank you very much, Mr. VanDosen." Basta shook the man's plump, dry hand and flashed a toothy grin.

"Daniel, you show this guy what needs to be done, I'll be in the office." Markus gave Basta a quick (yet scrutinizing) once over before retreating back to his office, most likely to reconsider giving the strange British stranger a job at his restaurant. Daniel smiled, with his lips closed, and raised his sharp eyebrows.

"Alright. Let's get this show on the road!" Daniel smiled, showing off perfectly straight teeth. He lead Basta through the back of the restaurant, to a small kitchen, and explained that his father's restaurant made the best _Brunsli _(Swiss brownies) in the country. Basta highly doubted this, as the restaurant was completely empty.

"Why is your restaurant so empty, then?" Asked Basta. There wasn't anyone cooking in the kitchen, either.

"I guess you missed the closed sign, huh?" Daniel raised an eyebrow at Basta, who blinked stupidly.

"Oh, yeah. Guess I did." Basta shrugged and pretended that he really did miss the sign that said the restaurant was closed. They walked through an isle of counters, and copper pots and pans hanging from wooden rectangles suspended from the ceiling. Basta's Army boots clopped on the black and white diamond tile floor as the two headed for another door, to the far right of the room. As they walked, Daniel explained that his father's restaurant sometimes catered to small events. Christmas time was especially busy, because people loved to come in for the Brunsli.

"So how old are you?" Asked Daniel.

"21. How about yourself?" Basta thought the question was odd. Never in Lombrica did anyone ask how old you were. That was just an irrelevant fact.

"I'm 19." Daniel smiled a little, then motioned to a door to their right. "That's the office. It's were my dad works." Then he pointed to a door straight ahead. "That's the back room. That's where we get all the boxes ready for catering." Daniel opened the door, and Basta was pleased when the backroom was just as warm as the kitchen. Though it was darker, and the walls were painted grey. "Out that door there is our delivery truck." Daniel shrugged his narrow shoulders. "And that's that!"

"Alright." Basta shifted uncomfortably. "When do I start?"

"Well, we open tomorrow at 11. I suppose you could come at nine to help out around the restaurant. Now you can go home and wash up, or something." Daniel frowned a bit. Basta knew that he looked extremely scruffy and probably smelled bad. He bit his lip in embarrassment.

"Alright. I'll see you, then." Basta shook Daniel's hand, then left the cozy restaurant.

It was cold outside, and the grey sky seemed to be hanging down extra low. A damp mist hung in the air, chilling Basta to the bone. He would have loved to put the Nazi jacket back on, but he knew it wouldn't earn him friendly looks. So instead, he just shuffled up the sheet, shivering and clutching his sweater jacket closer to his body.

Exhausted and hungry, Basta collapsed on a bench beside an old lady. His teeth chattered loudly, and he slumped, hoping to warm himself. With the dampness in the air, and the utter chill, his army fatigues had stiffened. The material was cold against his skin.

"Are you alright, young man?" Asked the old lady. She was dressed in a heavy looking coat, trimmed with fur. She had fur ear muffs, and mittens, which were clasped around a small purse.

"I'm f-f-freezing." Basta's cheeks were cold, and he knew they were flushed pink. The old lady made a sound of pity.

"Awwe, you poor thing" The way she looked at him made Basta feel sorry about himself. "How far away do you live?" She asked.

"I'm from out of town, I don't have anywhere to stay."

"Oh dear!" The old lady sounded legitimately bad for Basta. "You poor thing! You know, my daughter has space to rent in her basement. If you don't mind living in a basement, I'm sure she wouldn't mind having someone living downstairs..."

"Done!" Basta smiled thankfully at the old lady. "Thank you so, so much!" he said.

"Alright, come with me, deary." She smiled. "My name is Adriana."

"Hi, Adriana. My name is Basta."

"I can't say I've ever heard that name before."

"Yeah, it's pretty rare."

Basta had to talk slowly to keep up with Adriana's slow pace. By the time they reached a small house, Basta was nearly frozen solid. They had been walking for half an hour, when Adriana finally walked up the stoop of a small brick house, which was side by side with a number of identical homes.

"Well, this is it!" Said the old lady, unlocking the front door. Basta hopped from foot to foot, shivering and jamming his hands into the pockets of his fatigues. When the door opened, it took everything in him to keep from shoving past the old lady and flinging himself at the nearest heat source. "Come in, come in." Adriana smiled and allowed Basta to enter the toasty house. He sighed in relief as the warmth caressed his body. The house was small, but very nice from what he could see. The walls in the entranceway were painted brick red. Further through the house, Basta could see the walls were golden yellow in color. The hardwood floor was worn and a bit uneven, but the planks were rich walnut in color. An iron fireplace burned in the middle of the house. The kitchen was straight ahead to the left, living room across to the right. Down from that, was the dining room. Before the kitchen, to Basta's left, was a stairway that looped and curved and disappeared to a second level. The entire place smelled like cinnamon. Basta thought he had died and gone to heaven.

"Mum?" A woman's voice came from the kitchen. Basta turned his attention to the sound of the voice. A middle aged woman, blonde and tired looking, came out to the foyer wearing an apron.

"Darling, I have someone who would like to rent your basement suite." Adriana smiled encouragingly as she took the earmuffs off her head. The woman looked surprised, and she glanced between Adriana and Basta with wide eyes.

"Hi, my name is Basta" he said shyly, holding out his hand to shake. The woman tentatively held out her thin hand, and shook Basta's lightly.

"Hi, I'm Julie." She eyed Basta suspiciously and took her hand away, then wiped it on her apron. Basta cringed a bit. "So you want to rent our basement suite?" She spoke with an accent that Basta didn't recognize; the same as her mother's.

"Yes, that would be wonderful. I'm from out of town and I'm hoping to stay here for a while."

"You're not a soldier?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Basta shook his head no.

"No, I'm not. But I have a job at a restaurant downtown" he said. "Mr. VanDosen's restaurant."

"Ah, yes." Julie smiled a little. "Well, I suppose you can rent. It will cost you ten Swiss Francs a month. Is this alright with you?"

"Sure, I suppose." That didn't mean much to Basta, though he had the feeling that whatever money he made at VanDosen's would pay for the rent at Julie's house.

"Alright then, I'll show you downstairs." Julie cast her mother a quick look before leading Basta past the kitchen and living room, to a small tiled section of the house. To the right was a bathroom, and straight ahead was a railing, and a stairwell leading to a roomy basement. "We don't have much need for a basement, so we figured it would be kind to rent it out to someone in need."

Julie's hair was blonde, but had a few grey streaks running through it. Several strands had come loose from her bun, and framed her aging face. Though she mustn't have been much older than forty, she looked tired, which aged her considerably. As the two walked down the stairs, Basta found that the temperature dropped a tiny bit. Though the house was still warm, and he was happy to be out from the cold. "We don't have a door leading to the basement, so you'll have to come in through the front. We're fine with this as long as you clean your shoes." She glanced quickly at Basta's army boots, which were damp, but luckily clean.

"Thank you very much" Basta said. That's all he thought to say. He didn't have much experience being polite with strangers. Especially ones that were doing something nice for him. That didn't exactly happen often in Basta's life.

"It's not a problem." Julie smiled. The floor at the bottom of the stairs was the same walnut hardwood as the main level. A few red rugs with white tassels were spread on the floor. The basement was small, and the ceiling was relatively low. Straight ahead was a sofa and a small fireplace like the one upstairs. To the right was a door. Julie walked over to the door, and pushed it open. The room was dark and small. To the right was a bed, which was more or less sandwiched between the walls. To the left was a small oak dresser, and straight ahead was a little closet. Julie went over to the dresser, and flicked on the lamp. The room was filled with a soft golden glow, and Basta smiled. The walls were painted the color of cinnamon, and the bedspread was an off white color.

"It's perfect" said Basta. He had expected his room to be more like a cellar, not that cozy little nook. He was quite happy.

"Really?" Julie smiled. "Well, I'm glad you like it." She watched as Basta placed his rucksack on the floor. "Now, we don't have a refrigerator downstairs, so you're more than welcome to store your food in our fridge upstairs. Or, you can pay an extra five Francs per month, and we can provide extra groceries for you to eat as well." Though Basta didn't know how much money he would be making a month at VanDosen's, he nodded his head.

"I'll uh, I'll pay the extra five Francs." He offered a shy smile, and made a mental note to ask Daniel how much money he would be making at work. Though Anna had given him some money before he left, Basta didn't want to use that until he absolutely had to. "Do you want to settle up now?" He asked. He wasn't used to paying board, and he wasn't sure how it was done on Earth. In Lombrica, one usually paid at the end of each month. Julie shook her head.

"No need. It's December tomorrow, and I'll just charge you at the end of each month. How long do you intend on staying?"

"I'm not sure. I'll take it month by month." He said. Julie thought about this, then nodded. "Alright. Just don't try to pull any funny business."

"No, missus. No funny business." Basta bit his lip and shifted from foot to foot.

Julie gave Basta a thorough rundown of the rules in the Asper household.

The basement bathroom was his to use, though he wasn't allowed to take showers that lasted longer than ten minutes. He was welcome to join the family at meal times if he so desired. Breakfast was at seven, lunch was at twelve, and supper was at six. He wasn't permitted to bring in many guests, which wasn't much of a problem anyways. Basta had no friends. He wasn't allowed to go upstairs, which is where the rest of the family slept. Washday was on Monday, and Basta was told that the dolly tub was kept in the basement, next to the stairwell and cellar. He was to put his dirty clothes in with the rest, and they would be washed, free of charge. Julie murmured that since her Husband had died, there was too little laundry to do. Basta didn't understand why one would complain about too little laundry, but he pushed the thought aside.

Basta was fine with all these rules. He didn't mind one bit that he wasn't allowed to go upstairs. All he wanted to do was work and sleep and dream about Anna.

Julie mentioned that she had three children: Suzanne, Martin, and Sylvia. He was reassured that they wouldn't pester him, and that they would stay out of the basement. Basta murmured that it wasn't a problem, and suppressed a yawn. He and Julie shook hands one last time, then she let him be. Once she had gone upstairs, Basta plucked clean clothes from his rucksack, peeled off his boots, and made a beeline from the bathroom. After shutting the door, Basta stripped from his stinky clothes as fast as he could. He left them in a heap on the floor, and jumped into the tub. He started the water, and let the warmth cover his chilled body. He gasped loudly in great content as the water soaked over him. He pressed his forehead against the wall, and hugged his bare skin with his arms. After scrubbing with soap and shampoo, after shaving and drying off, Basta dressed in the clean clothes and sighed in content. He liked the feeling of smooth skin on his jaw, instead of rough stubble.

Basta looked at his reflection in the mirror, and ran a hand through his blonde hair. He sighed pitifully. If it wasn't Anna who had dyed it for him, he would have hated it. It didn't match the rest of his body hair (as Alessandra had ever so blatantly pointed out), and it made him feel self conscious. It was like looking at a stranger in the mirror. But since it had been Anna that had held his head over the sink, and soaked him in Peroxide, Basta didn't hate it all too much. It was a lasting reminder of the only person he loved. At that moment, Basta wondered about his brunette lover. Was she alright? Had she killed Landa yet? Basta shivered as he remembered the Colonel's frighteningly composed nature. He shook the thoughts from his head, and gathered up his filthy clothes. He tossed them into the aluminum tub in the washing room, as he had been instructed to, then went to his room. After crawling under the covers, Basta sighed in content, and fell asleep.

**A/N: **

**Hey guys! I hope this chapter (4,206 words) makes up for the lateness of my updates, and the shortness of the precious chapters. I hope you enjoy!**

**And also: thanks for the reviews! Even when I don't reply, I still REALLY appreciate your words and thoughts. Your input always helps me shape the story! Finding out what you like makes it easier for me to improve the later chapters. **

**New Blog entries on my ****Homepage****. **


	19. Chapter 19: A fresh start

Chapter 19: A fresh start

When Basta awoke, the clock on the dresser read 11 O'clock pm. He sighed, and his stomach growled. He had _definitely _missed supper. He tried to fall back asleep, but he couldn't resume his peaceful coma because his stomach growled persistently. With a groan, Basta swung his legs out of bed. His fatigues were nice and toasty from being under the blankets, and the sudden exposure to the cooler air made him shiver. He padded through the dark basement, walking as quietly as possible, then up the creaking stairs. With each _Crrreeeaaakkkk! _Basta cringed, and prayed that he wouldn't wake the household. He padded over to the kitchen, and opened the little refrigerator. He couldn't find anything appetizing, so he looked along the counter. Suddenly he remembered the yummy cinnamon smell from earlier that day. He couldn't find the cinnamon rolls, so he ditched that idea and just cut a slice of baguette for himself. He took his meal back down to his room, and ate the bread in a few big bites. Once his stomach had stopped growling, Basta was able to fall back asleep.

The sound of feet running across the floor upstairs woke Basta the next morning. The clock on the dresser read quarter to seven. Basta sighed, and rubbed his eyes. With a yawn, he swung out of bed and ran a hand through his rumpled hair. He rubbed his eyes again, and wandered to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Once he was minty fresh, Basta went upstairs to go get breakfast. The smell of coffee made Basta's stomach growl. Though he hesitated at the top of the stairs, nervous about meeting the children. _What are their names again? _Basta thought, straining to remember. _Martin... Sylvie...no, no... Sylvia? Yes, Sylvia. And what was the last one? Suzan? Susie? Suzanna? No, no... Suzanne. Suzanne... right? _Basta shook his head and plucked up his courage. He walked over to the kitchen, where Julie and Adriana were cooking French toast over the stove. Playing in the living room was the three children. Basta cast only one nervous glance in their direction. From what he could see, the boy was the middle child. One little girl looked like she was just getting through her toddler years. The other must have been close to her teens. His head snapped back to the adults.

"Good morning!" Said Julie, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Ohh good morning!" Cried Adriana. Basta smiled shyly.

"Good morning" Basta scuffed the hardwood with his sock. Adriana walked over to him with open arms, and flung one around his shoulder. She turned him around, facing the kids.

"Children" said the old woman- who smelled like some sort of dessert- "This is the young man staying downstairs. Come say hello!" Basta tried to smile, but it came out looking like parted lips and grit teeth. "His name is Basta!"

"Hullo" Mumbled Basta awkwardly.

"Hi, Basta" The boy spoke first. Martin. Basta figured the boy must have been ten years old. The oldest girl smiled with closed lips. She had copper colored hair, tied in pigtails, which rested on her shoulders.

"This is Martin" said Adriana, motioning to the little boy that came forth to shake Basta's hand. Basta did manage to make a legitimate smile, though very small, as he shook the boy's small hand.

"Nice to meet you" murmured Basta.

"This is Suzanne." The pretty young thing approached Basta nervously, and gently shook his hand. Basta didn't say anything, he just nodded. She tried to keep her eyes down, but they kept flicking up, to study the stranger standing in her living room. "And this here is little Sylvia" said Adrianna. The little girl, who must have been four or five, hid behind her brother's legs and only peeked at Basta. Though he kept his mouth closed and tried not to smile, a little grin tugged at the upper corners of his mouth.

"Alright everyone, come get some breakfast!" Julie carried a number of plates to the dining room. The kids cried out in joy and followed their mother over to the table. Basta and Adriana carried the rest of the plates.

Feeling very out of place, and quite uncomfortable, Basta found it hard to enjoy his meal. The children were constantly watching him, so he dreaded taking another bite. When he did eat, though, he usually stabbed a piece of toast into his mouth (almost stabbing his own throat a number of times) and chewed with his mouth closed. He kept his eyes on the buttery toast on his plate, and took big gulps of coffee. Once and a while, his green eyes would flick up to study the people around the table with him. This didn't last long, though, as he was the first one finished his meal. He stood up, and brought his dirty dishes to the sink. Julie soon joined him, and they washed dishes together.

"Thank you very much, that was very good" he said stiffly, scrubbing syrup from his plate.

"My pleasure" said Julie. They washed in silence. By the time 7:30 rolled around, Suzanne and Martin were pulling on jackets, hats and mittens, undoubtedly getting ready for school. Sylvia, though, wasn't.

"The little one doesn't go to school?" He asked, trying to make conversation with Julie. The woman smiled.

"No, Sylvia here is too young." Julie smiled down at her daughter, who was fussing over a doll on the floor.

"How old is she?" Asked Basta. He admired the little girl. She was so delicate looking. She had thin blonde hair, and looked up at Basta every so often with big grey eyes. They were the color of storm clouds, and Basta figured the name Sylvia came from. Silver, Sylvia... it fit.

"Three and a half" said Julie. The little girl grinned, showing off two tiny little front teeth. Basta couldn't help but smile back. The little girl giggled, then resumed playing with the doll.

"So why aren't you serving, if you don't mind my asking." Julie folded her hands on her lap. Basta sighed, and seemed to sink deeper into the fabric of the couch. He hated this question, as he really didn't have much of a reason to share with the average person. So, he sighed once again, and thought up an excuse.

"I did serve. But uh, I was shot. In the gut. So they dismissed me."

It was a long shot. But Julie seemed to buy it.

"Congratulations on your honourable discharge" she said. Sylvia burst out laughing. "What's so funny, baby?" Cooed Julia, who got off the couch and onto the floor, to play with her child. Basta coughed.

"Well, I'm going to head out now" he said.

"Alright, good bye." Julie was distracted with her child. Basta went downstairs, to get some money. His sweater jacket was in the wash, and he did _not _want to wear his German jacket out. So he changed into a long sleeve tee shirt and stuffed some money in his pocket. He was going out to buy a proper jacket. When he was back upstairs, Basta went to the living room to see Julie again.

"I don't have a jacket, so I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest clothing store" he said.

"Oh! Of course!" Julie got to her feet, holding Sylvia. "Go towards the direction of VanDosen's restaurant. There's a place on Main Street, on the right hand side, there's a number of clothing stores. There's a men's wear store called _Claude's_. I'm sure you could find something to wear there." Julie smiled.

"Claude's. Ok, thanks." Basta smiled, glanced at Sylvia, then left the house.

It was cold outside, just as Basta had expected. The damp chill seemed to bite through his thin cotton shirt. He trudged up the slick sidewalk, beginning the half hour walk to Main Street. It had taken half an hour with Adriana, so Basta figured he could ten minutes off his trip, if he walked at his own pace. The cold was another motivating factor, so Basta found himself at Claude's clothing shop in fifteen minutes. Basta swore aloud when he saw that the store was closed. Shivering and cursing, he trudged further down Main Street, to get to VanDosen's early.

Daniel seemed surprised to see a clean, pink faced Basta in his shop 45 minutes early.

"You're early!" Said Daniel, frowning a bit.

"Yeah, sorry. Misjudged the walking time."

"You look freezing" said Daniel. He was holding a broom in one hand, and shut the door behind Basta with the other.

"I was going to buy a jacket, but the clothing shop was closed."

"Oh, I see. Well, you'll be able to go there after work."

"Speaking of which, what are my hours?"

"Well" began Daniel, resting the broom against the red wall, "One of our waitresses quit yesterday, so we'll need some extra help in the restaurant. If you don't mind waiting tables, you can work restaurant shifts _and_ catering shifts."

"The more work, the better" said Basta. All he knew how to do was work, so if the VanDosen's had multiple jobs for him, it was all the better.

"Alright, then. This works out perfect. I'll go tell my Dad..." but at that moment Mr. VanDosen came out from his office, looking stressed.

"Good morning, sir" said Basta, trying to be polite.

"Good morning. Wow, you're sure early." Mr. VanDosen checked his watch, and raised his eyebrows.

"Basta said he'll take the waiting job."

"The more work, the better" added Basta, trying to smile._ Money! And something to do! Finally! _Basta studied Markus' face.

"Perfect" said the man. He seemed to be relieved, as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. But after studying Basta, he frowned again. "Well, we can't have you waiting tables dressed like a grunt. Go get yourself some slacks and some nice shirts, and some proper shoes, damnit." 

"The clothing store is closed..." said Basta, biting a lip.

"Hrmmph." Markus checked his watch again. "It opens in ten minutes."

"Alright." Basta smiled.

"In the meantime, start a fire." Mr. VanDosen nodded in the direction of the fireplace. Then he walked off to his office. Daniel had already resumed sweeping. Basta wandered over to the hearth, and threw some logs into the ashy fireplace. After opening the flu, he took the matchbook from the shelf above the fireplace, and stuck a wobbling flame onto the pile of kindling.

After ten minutes, he left the restaurant and jogged over to Claude's. Sure enough, the shop keeper had flipped the sign to OPEN. Basta went inside, and looked around.

"What are you looking for?" Asked the clerk- an elderly man with glasses on his nose.

"Jackets."

"Over there" the shop keeper pointed to a rack on the far wall. Basta nodded, and trudged in that direction. He was surrounded by men's clothing, wall to wall. It was strange to see so many garments in one place.

Basta selected a black pea coat, and slung it over his arm. He tried on a pair of black wingtip oxford shoes, and made a face at the way they pinched his feet. He tried on a bigger size, and decided to buy them. He selected two pairs of black slacks. He also slung a white button down and black button down over his arm, and paid for the clothes.

"Thirty Francs" said the clerk. Basta's eyes widened. He passed over some money from his pocket. He had no idea how to count. The Clerk raised his bushy white eyebrows, and thumbed through the cash. He kept only one bill, and got change from the cash register. Basta blushed, took the extra money, and accepted the paper bag with his new clothes in them.

"Thanks" he mumbled, taking the jacket from the bag. He shrugged into the fabric, then promptly left the store.

Daniel raised his eyebrows when Basta re-entered the restaurant.

"You are one speedy guy" he said in surprise, watching with wide eyes as Basta set the bag down on the floor and removed his coat.

"Really?" Basta didn't realise that he was _speedy_. In Lombrica, he had been labelled as talkative. Very talkative. So many times Capricorn's other minions had told him to shut up. _"Like the sound of your own voice, Basta?" _they had so often said. Basta could only close his lips and glare, or snarl a retort, or ignore them. Ignorance had been his new favourite method of defence. _I didn't hear you, therefore you can't say anything that hurts me. _

"Yeah, you must have been there for only fifteen minutes, tops!" Daniel seemed impressed. "You may as well put on some slacks and a button down, then I'll give you a run down on how to be a waiter." Daniel raised his eyebrows in mock enthusiasm. Basta just nodded and took the bag of clothes to the backroom, the one with the grey walls. He quickly stripped out of his shirt. The room was chillier than the rest of the restaurant, so his nipples hardened and goose bumps prickled over his arms. Basta quickly shrugged into the white button down, and buttoned the skinny buttons with agile fingers. He cranked his belt apart, stepped out of his army fatigues, then into the new black slacks. Before he zipped and buttoned, he tucked the white shirt over his boxers. After tightening the belt once again, he kicked off his army boots and into his stiff new oxfords. He stashed his old clothes in the bag, and put it in the corner of the room.

Daniel's rundown on waiting tables was incredibly boring. _Far too simple _thought Basta.

"Do you think you can manage that?" Asked Daniel.

"Ha!" Scoffed Basta. "Of course." He thought back to the jobs he had to carry out in Lombrica. Basta cringed at the memory.

"_Basta..." Capricorn's breath was hot. Basta cringed as his boss' breath tickled his ear canal. _

"_Yes, Master?" Basta spoke through grit teeth and a tight throat. _

"_Here's what I need you to do..." he began to pace around his young protégé. "That young lady, that lives up north with her father." Basta blinked heavily. He felt beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, running into his eyes. He blinked away the salty sting, gulping his dry throat, awaiting orders. "Bring her to me." _

"_Yes, master." Basta could barely find his own voice. He put a hand to his sword hilt, and dropped to a knee, bowing to his master. After rising to his feet, he left his master's chamber, leaving his master's fort, out to the stables. Mounting up on his horse- a paint filly named Puzzle- and galloped through the forest. _

_He found the hut nestled in the trees. A plume of smoke rose from the chimney, rising to the grey sky. Basta halted his horse, and tied his beloved mount to a tree. He crept through the forest, silent as a cat, and approached the hut. He drew a knife from his boot, as his sword was too hard to wield. He crouched under a window sill, listening... He heard the laughter of the two people in the hut. They were talking, but their conversation was muddled. Basta took in a deep breath, hating himself for what he was about to do... _

"It's really no problem." Said Basta. He realised he had zoned out, his mind elsewhere. Daniel just nodded.

"Alright" he said. He went to offer Basta his notepad and pencil, but Basta refused. He tapped the side of his head with his finger.

"I have a good memory." He said.

"Ok, then." Daniel smiled. By then more staff members had walked into the restaurant. Chefs, by the looks of it. "We open in thirty minutes."

**A/N:**

**OMG! Read my blog to find out why I had two fire trucks in my driveway today! (Blog on my "Homepage"). **


	20. Chapter 20: Emotional Rollercoaster

Chapter 20: Emotional Rollercoaster

Basta was terribly bored by the end of his shift. He started home, in the dark, with a pit in his stomach. He missed Anna bitterly, and wanted nothing more than to hold her on his lap, to run his hands over her soft skin, and kiss her smooth neck. He could almost feel her skin against his lips... his limbs gave a little shake, and it wasn't entirely from the cold. He yearned for his lover, and he felt his eyes stinging. Gulping hard, Basta shook Anna's face from his mind and padded up the stoop. He pressed the door open, and enjoyed the warm rush that greeted him. Julie had been cooking supper, and the house was fragrant with the smell of a roast. The children were playing in the living room when Basta wiped off his boots.

"Basta?" called Julie from the kitchen. She came out wearing her apron and oven mitts.

"Hi" he said. He felt the children's eyes on him as he walked over to greet their mother.

"How was your day?" asked Julie. The children had fallen quiet. Only Sylvia giggled.

"It was fine." He shrugged a bit. "Boring."

"Supper will be on in twenty minutes" said Julie.

"I'll uh... I'll shower." Basta forced a smile, and padded downstairs to go shower.

Under the warm stream of water, Basta let his mind wander back to Auleau, and the night that he and Anna had slept together. As his mind drifted back to when he had taken the beautiful brunette, he grew so rigid and stiff that his body grew hotter under the water. Suddenly, the memory of Anna's injured and heartbroken expression passed through Basta's mind. He couldn't help but let out one sob. It ripped from his throat without his consent, and echoed in the little bathroom. He wanted to punch the wall, ashamed of himself for getting so damn emotional over a woman. He got out of the shower, grumbling to himself. He dressed, glared at his blonde reflection, and as he trod up the stairs to go eat supper, he thought about Will. Basta could hear the children's voices as he went up the stairs. _Is Will OK? Did he die on the gurney? Is he a prisoner now? Is he in the same cell that I was kept in? _

"Hello" he heard Adriana say. He smiled a tight little smile, and gave a swift nod. The children watched as he past, and giggled a bit. Basta swept a hand through his blonde hair, sighed, and helped Julie set the table. They were having roast for supper. Basta's stomach growled at the smell. He sat at the table, and began to eat.

In Lombrica, Basta had developed a habit of woofing down his food as fast as he could. But when he did it in Julie's dining room, he finished his meal much before everyone else, and they all just stared at him. Blushing, he bowed his head.

"Very good, thank you" he mumbled at Julie. Suddenly, there was a bubble of laughter and Martin was laughing at Basta's side. Wide eyed, Basta glanced at the boy. He couldn't help but smirk when Suzanne started laughing too, from across the table. Sylvia laughed too, though she wasn't sure why everyone was pink in the cheeks with laughter sputtering from their lips.

"What's so funny?" asked Julie. Her voice hinted that she was suppressing laughter herself. Basta couldn't help himself. Suddenly he too was laughing.

The sound was unfamiliar to him. But, he realised, it was a nice sound. His own laughter was smooth and attractive. It bubbled from his throat and came out of an open, smiling mouth. Adriana was chuckling, and looking at the people seated at the table with a questioning look. Basta didn't understand why Martin had laughed in the first place, but he was happy he did. He hadn't laughed in so long, and the feeling was nice. Basta remembered how Robert had tilted his head back and let out a laugh. Robert, he thought, had a very nice laugh.

"Did you see how fast he ate his meal?" Cried Martin, after his laughing had subsided. Blushing, Basta glanced up and caught Suzanne looking at him. He quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed. But when he peeked back, he noticed she was blushing and looking at her plate. Basta thought that was odd and it made him frown a bit. So he ignored it, and cleared his dishes.

Adriana and Julie washed dishes, and Basta dried. He didn't like doing dishes, not one bit, but he felt he owed it to his hosts. He felt very out of place, and felt he needed to get on (and stay on) Julie's good side. If Hitler really was looking for him, he didn't want Julie to turn him over. As he examined her, humming while scrubbing dishes, he could see her being a rat. She just seemed submissive and weak. She wasn't wearing a wedding ring, which meant she was probably over her dead husband. Whatever the case may be, Basta didn't trust her very much. So his chewed his lip nervously and put the plates away.

"Would you like to join us in a game of cards?" Asked Julie, once the dishes were finished. The children paused and listened, wanting to hear Basta's answer.

"Oh, no thanks" he began, but suddenly Martin whined.

"Pleeaaaase!" he said, his eyes begging. Basta was taken aback. _A child? Wanting my attention? Whaaaat?_ Basta found that absurd! _Is this because he doesn't have a father, or a brother? _Wondered Basta, as he reconsidered the offer. He didn't have anything better to do...

"Alright, I guess" He murmured and shrugged, and Martin whooped in triumph. Suzanne was smiling shyly at her feet. Basta grimaced a bit, but walked over to the living room. Of course Martin sat right beside Basta. "You can't sit next to me during cards" he said with a chuckle. "You could cheat!" Martin reddened and scooted away, but still kept a certain amount of closeness. Basta wondered what it would be like to be that desperate for a father figure. Then it suddenly hit home... it was all too familiar. Basta himself had found himself in a similar situation, wanting desperately to find a father figure to fill the gap in his life. Of course Capricorn had filled that gap... not that he did a good job, though. Suddenly Basta felt an off surge of affection for the boy, but it died as quickly as it came. Basta wasn't very good at feeling emotional towards people.

Basta won each game of cards by a long shot. If there had been money on the table, he would have had heavier pockets. But it was all in good fun, and Martin seemed to enjoy the competition. After a while, Suzanne left the game, and sat at Basta's side, knitting something with soft grey yarn. Basta excused himself, feeling uncomfortable. He went back to his bedroom, and lay on the bed.

Basta's mind swam as he lay on top of his blankets. He stared up at the ceiling, and thought of Anna. Oh, how his heart ached. He found himself biting his own lip, in hopes to put the pain somewhere else. Basta liked physical pain- it was what he was used to. He couldn't handle the emotional issues all too well. Shortly after the incident with the villagers that he had burned alive, he had attempted suicide.

_Basta sat alone in his bedroom, a small room in Capricorn's fortress. He lay on the bed, tears running from his eyes, down his temples and into his soft brown hair. Basta was absolutely drunk, and the terrified screams of the innocent people he had killed echoed in his mind. Grasping a knife in his right hand, Basta debated where he wanted to plunge the blade. In the heart? The thigh? He wasn't sure. He remembered the beautiful blue eyes of the baby... that baby... the screams... the knife suddenly found its way to his wrists. Basta sat up, and carved the blade in one deep gash, on his left wrist. He let out one hard cry, as he dragged he smooth edge through his skin. _

_Two of Capricorn's men found him an hour or so later. They took hold of his arms, and dragged his legs across the floor as they brought him to Capricorn's room. _

Basta had tears in his eyes. Lying on his bed in Julie's basement, he felt his heart ripping in two. He couldn't get Anna out of his mind, and suddenly he was feeling very sorry for himself.

He ground the back of his head into his pillow and groaned aloud, his body _craving _Anna. He realised, as he felt her absence causing him great pain, that he was addicted to her. _It must be an addiction _he thought, rubbing his aching forehead with his hand. _It hurts too much, far too much to be normal. _He felt a hard ache in both his chest and throat, and the ache slowly melted away into a hot lob. He blinked away more tears and hated himself for being so weak. But the emotions came back, taunting him, paining him. Basta dealt with the rollercoaster of emotions for quite some time, before he finally fell asleep.

**A/N:**

**Finally! An update! Sorry it took so long... I've been dealing with the sort of emotions Basta is dealing with currently: A terribly agony when you're trying to forget someone that you love and care for. Sigh. I think it might be time to update my BLOG. **

**Reviews, thanks. You guys are great. **


	21. Chapter 21: Suzanne's crush

Chapter 21: Suzanne's crush

Basta was dead at the table for breakfast the next day. He had had a terrible nightmare, where Anna had been accused of being a Jew. She was sent to a concentration camp, where she was forced to stand in a gas chamber. In his dream, the gas chamber had looked just like the cell he had lived in. He screamed at Anna to escape, as she was holding the key to the cell, but she just stood there, until she succumbed to the gasses and collapsed, dead, on the floor.

The young man poked at his breakfast, and ate rather slowly. He couldn't taste the food as he chewed, and no one questioned him on what was wrong. It's like they all understood that the brooding young fellow at their table was dealing with an extreme inner struggle. Not even Martin said anything. Though the young boy and his sister often glanced up from their meal to study Basta's sullen face.

When he was finished, he got up from the table and washed his dishes in a sort of rush. He padded down the stairs, and bit his lip as he got ready for work.

The walk to VanDosen's was cold and lonely. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and the days were bitter cold. Though there was no snow yet, Basta knew the sky would give into the clouds sooner or later. The VanDosen's restaurant was warm and comfortable. Basta shed his jacket, just as Daniel came out of the office.

"Basta!" He said, holding a hat in his hand. "We have a catering job today."

"Oh" Basta's heart just wasn't into work. He didn't care if he was waiting tables or catering... he just ached for Anna.

"Keep your jacket on, we're headed out." Basta took his jacket from the hook, and followed Daniel to the back room. Daniel shrugged into a black jacket, popped the collar, then instructed Basta to pick up one of the boxes sitting on the floor. Numbly, Basta hauled the box up, and carried it out to the little delivery truck, parked in the cold alley. He slid it into the back, and helped Daniel with his box. Daniel muttered something about strength under his breath before walking over to the driver's seat. Basta closed the back doors of the truck, and made his way to the passenger's seat. He sat in the cold cab, and rubbed his hands together. "Are you OK?" asked Daniel, once he started the vehicle. Basta muttered something completely inaudible and looked out the window.

"Where are we delivering to?" Asked Basta, after about an hour of driving. They have been cruising in silence along the road for about an hour.

"Oh, just a small place East of here." Daniel concentrated on the road.

"I see" Basta just crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the foggy window.

"Is everything alright?" asked Daniel, after another half hour of driving. Basta shrugged miserably and slumped. The delivery struck bumped on the uneven road. "You seem pretty miserable" pushed Daniel.

"Maybe I am" muttered Basta. He felt very uncomfortable in the cab of the truck. One, he bitterly missed Anna. Two, he was afraid of being spotted by the Nazis. He wanted to wait in the little Swiss village for Anna for as long as possible. Not end up in some camp of some sort. He shuddered at the thought of being completely lost and alone. In a place where not even clever Anna could find him!

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because my girlfriend is very mad at me, OK?" Basta didn't see any harm in calling Anna his girlfriend. It made him feel a little better, anyways.

"I'm sorry to hear that" said Daniel. Basta just shrugged.

"Why is she mad?"

"I don't want to talk about it, OK?" Basta huffed impatiently, and looked out the windshield. A small town became visible in the distance. "Is that the place?" he asked, trying to control his temper.

"Yes, that's the town." Daniel sighed, and didn't pester Basta any further. Though at first that's what he thought he wanted, Basta found himself wanted Daniel to continue prodding. It made it better to let out his emotions (he was just too ashamed to do it). So, he just sighed and watched as they approached the buildings. As they pulled up an uneven street, snowflakes started to fall from the big white sky. Basta peered out the windshield in wonder. He had never liked the snow in Lombrica, partly because one would be nearly frozen to death unless they were in front of a fire. But in the cab of Daniel's truck, Basta quite enjoyed watching the snowflakes flutter to the ground.

The two pulled up to a small building with a dirty sign hanging above the door. Daniel stopped the truck, then instructed Basta to help him with the boxes. Basta obeyed, and stepped out onto the fresh dusting of snow. His breath clouded before his lips, and he shivered against the chill. After carrying the boxes into the small building, he realised that he and Daniel were catering to a small party. The room was alive with about thirty people, each talking amongst themselves and holding drinks. Basta nodded to a few people as he followed Daniel towards the back of the room. They put the boxes on the table, in front of a tired looking man, who shelled over some cash and thanked them in a language Basta didn't recognize (though he knew it wasn't German).

"That's it?" Asked Basta as they walked back to the delivery truck. Daniel nodded and climbed into the driver's seat.

"You bet. That's it." He started the vehicle, and Basta resumed his slumped position.

"You know, you really remind me of someone" said Daniel suddenly.

"Oh really?" Basta tried to keep his voice calm, though it rose slightly. He didn't know why, but he felt insanely nervous all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I can't really place it though." Daniel shrugged. "Whatever" he finally said with a chuckle. "Probably met you in a past life or something!"

"Yeah, probably" said Basta with nervous laughter. "What's the date?" he asked suddenly, thinking of Anna. He couldn't remember how many days he had been away from her. All he knew was that he had left Auleau at the end of November.

"It's December 5th. Why?" Daniel yawned.

"No reason, I was just wondering." Basta felt his head beginning to ache- right behind his eyes. He cringed a bit, and figured the headache was coming from the brightness of the snow. He pinched the bridge of his nose, the part right between his eyes, with his index finger and thumb, and gently massaged the tissue.

"Headache?" Asked Daniel.

"Yeah!" Basta grit his teeth.

"Maybe you're car sick" said Daniel with a chuckle. "Feel nauseous?"

"A little" Basta hadn't acknowledged the churning of his stomach until Daniel mentioned it.

"Yes, probably car sick." Daniel smirked. "Look out the windshield and concentrate on the road ahead."

"Kay" Basta obeyed, but the symptoms didn't subside. In fact, they got worse. His stomach churned and his headache worsened as the snow continued to swirl in front of the windshield. By the time the delivery truck had bumped back to their town, Basta had bile sitting in his throat, and his face was as white as the snow outside in the fading light. It was late in the afternoon, and Basta's shift was over.

As he walked home, he felt the nausea subside, though the headache stayed. He was looking forward to a hot meal and to nestle underneath his blankets.

When he stepped into the house, Basta was by the smell of something cooking in the oven. He said hello to both Julie and Adrianna, then walked over to the living room, where Martin was sitting on the floor playing with a wooden train, and where Suzanne was sitting on the couch, knitting something. Basta sat on the floor at Martin's request, and watched as the boy showed him how the train worked. Basta found it quite astonishing, and listened as Martin told him all about trains (the thought baffled Basta, and he wanted to see a full sized working one). In Lombrica, no such locomotives existed. The only things similar to trains were the small mining carts.

Basta glanced up after a while, and looked at Suzanne. The pretty little copper headed girl was knitting quietly, her eyes down. Comforted that she was distracted, Basta took the time to truly look her over. He had only really glanced at her before, and had managed to acknowledge mainly three things about her. One: that she had hair the color of copper. Two: that she must have been about 11 or 12 years old. Three: That she was pretty. Basta's eyes flicked over her frame, and he was able to pick up a number of details. She had fair skin, but no freckles. Despite her age, she had soft feminine lips that would have looked at home on a woman's face. But she had young features and full cheeks, which accompanied her girlish body. All in all, she was quite pretty. Suzanne must have felt Basta's eyes on her, because she suddenly looked up from her knitting, and blushed a rosy color when she noticed he walk looking at her. He looked away suddenly, embarrassed that he had been scrutinizing a child so closely, and returned his attention to Martin's train. But he felt Suzanne casting him glances, so, feeling uncomfortable, he went to the basement to change.

While changing into a different pair of socks, Basta though about Suzanne and wondered if she was developing a bit of a crush on him. The thought made him feel uneasy. He was perfectly aware that the last person he had fucked must have been no more than three years older than Suzanne. The man shuddered at the thought, and at his previous irresponsibility.

_How COULD I have done that? _He thought as he paced his little room. _I slept with a CHILD! _After being with Anna, he felt completely stupid for doing the fourteen year old. Completely stupid. That was something Anna would never hear about... Basta shuddered.

Basta made an effort to chew his dinner slower than he usually did. Though he still finished first, he didn't appear to be scarfing his meal like it was his last.

"Oh, I'm so tired" complained Julie, putting a hand to her forehead. "It's been such a long day." She yawned. "I would just love to go to bed" she seemed very strung out, Basta noticed, so he sighed and offered to clean the dishes for her. "Oh, you don't need to do that" she began.

"I would like to" he said (though he really didn't). "It's the least I could do."

"Oh thank you so much" said Julie. She smiled thankfully, and Basta could see that she really did look exhausted. So when he gathered the plates to be washed, Julie kissed her children then went up to bed. Martin disappeared to the living room to play with his toys, and Adriana took Sylvie to bed.

"I'll help" said Suzanne, sitting up suddenly. She helped Basta carry the plates to the kitchen. Basta didn't speak, he just side by side with the girl at the sink, each of them elbow deep in dish water. Neither of them spoke for a while, which made the situation even more awkward, so Basta tentatively asked a question.

"How old are you, Suzanne?" He asked shyly.

"Twelve" she said, smiling a bit. "How old are you?" The question took Basta by surprise, but he found it amusing. He chuckled a bit, then answered.

"Twenty one" he said.

"Oh" Suzanne passed Basta a plate to dry. "Are you from England?"

"Yes" he lied.

"I like your accent" she murmured shyly.

"Thank you" he began. Then Martin interrupted.

"SUZE HAS A CRUSH ON YOU!" He called from the living room. Suddenly the girl froze. Basta's heart slowed and he felt very uncomfortable. And the look on the little girl's face made his heart leap out to her. Her face was bright pink and she looked frozen to the ground. Basta knew he had to save her from this humiliation.

"Naw, a pretty girl like Suzanne wouldn't go for a scruff like me. I'm not her type." He was pleased with himself for making such a quick fix. Martin laughed from the living room. Suzanne said nothing. When Basta looked down at her, though, he saw that she still looked flustered. Her big secret was out. "How many more dishes left?" He asked her quietly. The girl stuttered, then replied that they were almost done. The rest of the dishes were put away in silence. As Basta was making his way towards the basement, though, he heard Suzanne call his name. He stopped and turned, and faced the young girl. She was holding the grey thing she had been knitting for the past few days.

"I-I noticed that you didn't have a hat, and its getting very cold outside, so I knitted this for you. I hope you like it." Suzanne spoke quickly, in a hushed tone, with her face down. She was shy and embarrassed. Basta, on the other hand, was so flattered that his heart swelled.

"For me?" He took the knitted toque from the girl's hands, and felt the soft fabric in his hands. Though Anna had bought him some clothes, he didn't consider the garments as gifts. Suzanne's hat, on the other hand, was in fact a gift. The first gift he had ever received. "Suzanne, I love it. Thank you very much." He smiled gratefully, and put it on his head right away. The girl smiled and blushed. "You know this is the first gift I've ever gotten from a pretty girl?" He smiled and watched as the color in her cheeks deepened.

"I'm glad you like it" she said.

"Thank you very much."

Needless to say, Basta went to bed with a smile on his face.


	22. Chapter 22: The daily grind

Chapter 22: The daily grind

December came with a flurry of snow. A week passed, and Basta continued his work at VanDosen's restaurant. Between waiting tables and running deliveries with Daniel, he had proved to be a hard worker, and earned his pay. Basta had also earned Julie and Adriana's trust, and he was included in more family activities. By December 12th, Basta was more or less part of the family.

"Mum, Sylvie is crying again" called Martin from the living room. He was sitting on the couch, practicing his arithmetic. Basta was in the kitchen with the women, cutting vegetables for the soup.

"I can hear that, Martin!" said Julie. She sounded extremely tired, and Basta noticed rings around the lady's eyes. She appeared to be older, and more stressed. Adriana sighed as she washed potatoes in the sink. "I'll go see what's wrong." She sighed heavily and wiped her hands on her apron, before walking briskly towards her daughter.

"She's been so fussy lately" commented Basta as he looked over his shoulder at the baby, who sat on the floor crying.

"I think her teeth might be hurting" said Adriana. She passed a potato to Basta to cut. He used the knife skilfully and quickly, dicing the potatoes as if they were butter. Basta had nothing to add to Adriana's comment. He really didn't know anything about babies. Suddenly Suzanne walked into the living room, holding a paper script in her hand. She walked across the floor with her head bend over the papers, murmuring to herself and bobbing her head. Basta smiled to himself.

"How are the lines coming?" he asked the girl, who was rehearsing for her school's Christmas play.

"Good" she said, distracted. Basta knew that Suzanne wanted to be an actress some day, and it was her dream to go to Holly Wood. Though she didn't get cast for the leading role in the play, she was studying her lines daily.

"When's dinner going to be ready?" whined Martin from the living room.

"Not for a while" said Adriana. She seemed impatient with her grandson.

"How is the math going?" Asked Basta.

"Umm, ok" murmured Martin.

"Are you having troubles son?" Asked Julie. Sylvie had stopped crying.

"A little" said Martin. He scratched his head and tapped the pencil on the coffee table.

"I'll help" said Basta quietly. He set the knife down on the counter, and wiped his hands on his fatigues. Though reading and writing were two things Basta didn't understand too well, he had always had the uncanny ability to add subtract, divide and multiply numbers.

Basta sat next to Martin and took a look at the question in the boy's scribbler.

_If you begin with a one digit integer, multiply by 3, add 8, divide by 2 and subtract 6, you will get the integer back. What is that number?_

"Oh, that's easy" said Basta. He was silent for a moment as he thought. "Four" he said finally.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" cried Martin. He gaped at Basta in bewilderment.

"Easy." Basta felt his cheeks turning pink. "Trial and Error. Just do three times-"

"Show me" said Martin, handing Basta the pencil. Basta flushed pink. He was nervous about writing, but he knew the number well, as he had seen them written many times at the VanDosen's. _8 orders of coffee, 4 orders of spaghetti, etc, etc. _So, with a shaky sigh, Basta took the pencil, which felt like a foreign object in his hand. And then he began to write. His own printing became visible before his own eyes for the first time in his life. He couldn't help but smile and squiggly little lines appeared on the page.

**3 x 4 = 12 + 8 = 20 / 2 = 10 – 6 = 4. **

"Simple as that" he said, drawing a big circle around the final number four. When Martin didn't say anything, Basta sighed. Just go through all the numbers in your head, starting with zero, until you get the number you're looking for."

"I understand now" said Martin with a smile. "Trial and error."

Basta was too busy admiring the squiggles he made on the page to pay much attention to the boy. When Martin began erasing his problem though, Basta was shocked.

"Hey what are you doing?" he asked, a little too defensively.

"No offense, but you're printing is pretty messy... the teachers would never believe I wrote that! I have to do it myself, now."

"But... but my writing was so pretty" Basta almost whimpered. Martin just laughed.

"No it's not, it's ugly." The boy laughed, and Basta stood up, then returned to cutting potatoes in the kitchen. _I wrote_ he thought proudly. _And it was beautiful. _

-.-.-

After he had done the dishes after supper, Basta snuck a pad of paper and a pencil out of the spare drawer in the kitchen. He went down to his room, and anxiously sat on his bed, the paper on his lap. He licked his lips in excitement, and prepared himself. _I'm going to write _he thought excitedly. And write he did. He scribbled down all the letters he knew in his wobbly printing. He practiced his letters for an hour or so, then began drawing things. He sketched horses (that came out looking like one eyed upside down camels), he drew dogs (they ended up looking like scraggly long legged hamsters), and many other sights that were familiar to him. He tried drawing people but gave up abruptly. After a few hours, the paper pad was completely full of letters and drawings, and he was so sleepy his eyelids felt like lead sheets.

-.-.-

"And what will you be having today?" Asked Basta, standing before a table where two older ladies were sitting.

"I'll be having the spaghetti and meat balls, please." Said the first, smiling up at Basta.

"Mushroom pasta please, and a water." Said the second. Basta nodded and a fleeting smile passed over his lips. Then he turned on his heel and walked towards the kitchen. He tugged the collar of his black button-down away from his neck, and shook the hair out of his eyes. His hair had always grown very fast, and he looked rather strange, with such long brown roots and four-inch long blonde ends. Mr. VanDosen didn't seem to approve of the style, and Basta assured the man he would cut it. He hadn't had hair shorter than four inches in years, though, and was tentative about cutting the blonde off. Plus, the blonde was the last bit of evidence he had that Anna had existed in his life. Evidence that she had touched him. He shivered, then pushed the door open to the kitchen. He told the head chef the order: spaghetti and meatballs, and mushroom pasta, then went to get the glass of water himself. As he filled up a glass at the faucet, Basta over heard the conversation between two chefs.

"It's always those big events" said one of them, as he slung a towel over his shoulder. "I just hate cooking for those things."

"Hey, you can complain all you want, but its money in my pocket, so I won't protest." Said the other.

"Yeah, but I hear this one will be full of krauts."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, we'll be cooking for krauts!" _Krauts..._Basta remembered the word. Was it William that had used it? _Yes _Basta recalled. It had been William. He used it to describe the Germans.

"Well that is unfortunate. But man, I need the money. I have a family to feed." Basta was so busy eaves dropping and wondering what event was happening, that he had failed to realise that the glass was teeming over the sides. Water ran over his hand, and got the cuff of his shirt wet. Basta swore quietly under his breath, and drained the glass ever so slightly. He stole a number of nervous glances at the two talking chefs, hoping to catch more of their conversation, but couldn't hear any more. So he just brought the water out to the lady, smiled timidly, then glanced around the restaurant for anyone else that needed attention.

_My hair is so gross _thought Basta when an older woman sort of glared at him as he walked by. He figured he looked like he _wanted _to be a Nazi... dying his hair blonde and all. He decided he would cut it after he got home from work.

After delivering the steaming bowls of pasta to the two women, Basta was allowed to go on break. He decided to eat supper at the restaurant, then go for a walk outside. Leaning belly-into the counter in the kitchen, Basta put his elbows on the metal surface and picked at a bowl of leftover French fries. Mindlessly popping the salty food in his mouth, Basta's eyelids drooped slightly, and his chewing became robotic. When he finished the bowl of fries, Basta shook the salt off his fingers, then yawned. He took off his half-apron, then shrugged into his jacket. Basta was feeling extremely dejected. He sighed deeply as he walked out into the cold evening. Clouds appeared before his lips, and Basta's breath shuddered. He knew he couldn't manage a smile, and even good memories weren't enough to brighten his mood. It was simply too much effort for him to raise the corners of his mouth. So instead, he trudged through the snow, shivering, and walked to the street corner with the lamp post. Basta stood under the street light, and pulled a cigarette and matchbook from his pocket. He stood there, alone, with a heavy heart, and smoked. Not much passed through his mind, but his heart weighed in his chest. Basta knew very well that it was broken. _So this is what a broken heart _feels like, he thought.

"Hmm." But he couldn't think much after that. So he just enjoyed his smoke and let the cold bite down on his toes and fingers and cheeks.

After he was finished his cigarette, Basta began walking back to VanDosen's. He briefly thought of what he had heard the chefs talking about, and wondered what the 'big event' was. Though it did perk his interest, he really didn't care all that much. He just wanted to have a drink and go to bed.

Basta walked home from work at nine thirty pm. Though it wasn't late, he was tired and mentally exhausted. He stepped into the house, and was greeted by Martin and Suzanne. Both Adriana and Sylvie were in bed.

"Hello" said both children in unison. They were both reading by the fireplace. Basta said hello back. Suzanne was reading her script, while Martin had his nose in an adventure story. "How are you?" asked Martin.

"Oh, I'm alright, I suppose. Been better. How are you?" Basta hung his jacket on a hook, and kicked off his Oxfords. He suppressed a sad sigh.

"I'm doing well." Said Martin. He put his book down and stretched. "You sound pretty sad."

"Suzanne?"

"Hmm?" The pretty little thing looked up from her script.

"How are you?"

"Oh! I'm well, thank you. How are you?" she blushed.

"I'm fine." He smiled faintly, then went to the kitchen. He got a paring knife from the drawer, and sighed.

"What are you doing?" Cried Martin suddenly, his eyes on the knife.

"Huh?" Basta looked from the boy to the knife, then burst out laughing. "I'm going to cut my hair" he said, laughter still in his voice.

"Oh! I thought you were going to kill yourself or something." Martin shook his head and sighed. Suzanne raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to cut your hair with a knife?" She seemed very surprised. Basta raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah...?" _Was there any other way? _

"Wouldn't you rather use scissors?" She asked.

"Err...?" Basta frowned a bit. Suzanne sighed.

"Want me to do it for you?"

"Uhhhh..." Basta hesitated, then looked at the knife in his hand. "Ok, I guess" he said. Suzanne dropped her script to the table, then bounded to the kitchen. She rummaged through the drawer, and pulled out a pair of scissors. To Basta, they looked like two knife blades stuck together. He nervously followed the girl over to the bathroom. She spread a towel on the floor, and instructed Basta to stand on it. He obeyed. Suzanna sat on the counter, her knees touching Basta's thighs. "Just cut the blonde out." He said, suddenly worried that the girl would mess up his hair forever. Then he felt silly, because hair always grows. So, he closed his eyes, and let Suzanne cut his hair.

_Snip snip snip! _

Pieces of hair fell onto Basta's shoulders. He squinted his eyes shut, and wrinkled his nose. Hair fell onto his face and chest, and he held his breath. Suzanna giggled at the face he was making. He shuffled around when she told him to, and ten minutes later, she said she was finished. The girl brushed some hair off his shoulders and chest and back, then hopped off the counter. He wiped hair off his face, and looked at his reflection. He was...shocked. The man staring back at him was a handsome brunette, with short, dark brown hair that stuck up in attractive little spikes. His bangs were still a bit long, like he liked them, jutting out in two inch long strands. The hair at the base of his neck was left a bit long too, but not sloppy at all. His face suddenly erupted in a smile.

"Thanks so much!" he cried, ruffling his hair with his fingers. Suzanne stood beside him, joining his reflection in the mirror.

"I think I did a good job!" She said, smiling. "Yeah, you look really good!"

"Thanks!" Basta smiled happily and put a hand to the girl's shoulder. "I really appreciate it."

"It was not problem." They exchanged a high-five, and smiled at each other.

**A/N:**

**Hello, Inkhearties! Thank you for being so patient with me. I'm sorry it takes me a thousand years to update. I'm just so busy with math! Grr! **

**Anyways, I made an effort to make this chappy sorta long (2,372 words or something like that). ENJOY! And you know what to do next... wink wink nudge nudge. **


	23. Chapter 23: The Meaning of Christmas

Chapter 23: The Meaning of Christmas

It was Friday morning, and Basta was downstairs brushing his teeth. That night was Suzanne's Christmas Play, and she was so excited that she woke up an hour early. After he spat a foamy lob of pepsodent into the sink, Basta could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. He didn't think much of it, and pulled out his razor to shave. But suddenly Suzanne poked her head into the open doorway.

"Hi?" Basta was surprised to see the girl. No one ever went down to the basement, unless it was Julie doing the laundry.

"Hi" she said shyly. "Martin is hogging the bathroom upstairs and I really need to brush my teeth..."

"Alright." Basta stepped aside, leaving room next to the sink. Suzanne came in, holding a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. "Tonight is your big night, huh?" He smiled at the little girl, who squeezed some white paste onto her toothbrush. She let out a little squeal of excitement.

"I'm so excited!" She said, her voice was so bubbly. Basta just chuckled to himself, and ran the water in the sink. After wetting the razor, and sliding some water and hair conditioner on his face, he began to shave. The razor scratched over his skin, and Basta made sure to not cut himself. Suzanne scrubbed her teeth, her eyes studying the reflection in the mirror. It was a comical sight, a man shaving and a girl brushing her teeth, sharing the same sink. After Suzanne had spit the foam into the sink, she rinsed and thanked Basta. He just smiled and nodded and went back to shaving the stubble on his jaw. After he had dressed into slacks and a tee shirt, Basta jogged upstairs for breakfast. Oatmeal muffins, toast, and peanut butter awaited on the table. Basta accepted a cup of coffee from Julie, and sat between Suzanne and Martin at the table. He woofed down his breakfast (which made Martin giggle), then got in his coat, hat and shoes. He had the evening shift off, so he could watch Suzanne's play, but had a catering job rather early.

"Have a nice day" called Julie.

"Thanks, you too." Basta then shut the door, and ventured out into the cold. The young man shivered, and clutched the hounds tooth scarf closer to his freshly razed face. The walk to VanDosen's seemed to last an eternity and the morning sky just started to light up to a muted grey/blue color when he entered the toasty restaurant.

"Let's go, let's go!" Daniel was waiting, his jacket and hat already on. He seemed impatient, and Basta found himself frowning.

"Am I late?" he asked, his tone surprised.

"A little, yeah." Daniel made scooping motions with both his arms, then turned in the direction of the storage room. Basta jogged across the floor, leaving a trail of melting snow on the hardwood. _Oops _he thought, making a bit of a face. He ignored it, though, and followed Daniel out to the delivery truck. "I would ask if you wanted to drive" he began, putting the vehicle in drive, "but we're running late, so I will not."

"Oh-ho-no!" Basta put two hands up, palms out, and shook his head. "I have no interest in driving this thing, thank you very much!"

"Why not?" Daniel frowned as he turned onto Main Street.

"I just... I just don't want to!" He scratched his head in frustration. He really didn't want to drive because he didn't understand how the truck worked. And he didn't feel confident that he could manoeuvre the thing anyways. So he simply crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the windshield.

"Are you excited for Christmas?" Asked Daniel, changing the topic.

"Uhh... yes?" Basta had heard the word Christmas being tossed about lately. The children were getting exceptionally excited about it, and Suzanne would be performing in a Christmas Play... Basta was excited for the play secretly because he had no idea what Christmas was, and he hoped the production would give him some insight on the elusive holiday. "Are you?" He asked, to be polite.

"Yes and no" said Daniel, taking a right hand turn. "I'm looking forward to the food, but Christmas hasn't been the same since the war started."

"In '39" said Basta, proudly showing off the fact that he knew the date.

"Yeah." Daniel sighed. "And there are lots of deliveries to be made, and things get a little hectic around the restaurant."

"I see." Basta furrowed his brows. "What is your favourite part about Christmas?" He asked, hoping that maybe it would give him an idea on what the holiday was about. _It's a pretty foodie event _he thought to himself, making a mental note.

"The food. And the family. But when the great depression started, we couldn't have lots of the food that we would usually have." Basta's mind reeled. _Great depression, great depression, great depression... AHA! That was the economic crash! God, I'm good... _Basta smiled to himself. "What's your favourite?"

"Favourite what?" Basta blinked.

"Part of Christmas?"

"Oh... uhmm..." Basta frowned as he thought. "I really have no clue." He said innocently. That was the truth.

"Just the whole thing, huh?" Daniel smiled.

"Yeah, sure." Basta smiled. "The whole thing."

The two drive in silence until they arrived to their destination. After delivering the boxes of food (there weren't too many), they climbed into the truck and headed back home. As they drove, Daniel started conversation again.

"So what are you up to this weekend?" He asked.

"Well, tonight is my little sis- uh.." Basta shook his head clear of its thoughts for a moment. _Little sister? Get a hold of yourself, man! _"My uh, my little friend's Christmas play. I get to watch her perform."

"Oh, that's nice." Daniel smiled, though his facial expression hinted that that sounded terribly boring to him.

"What about you?" Basta figured he was getting good at the whole 'conversation' thing.

"I have a date" said Daniel with a smile.

"Oh yeah? What's her name?"

"Martha." Daniel raised his eyebrows momentarily. "I'm sort of nervous."

"Don't be nervous." Basta really didn't have much advice to offer. "Jump out of a window if you have to." He said, chuckling at his own memory. "It might work towards your benefit." He smiled, and Daniel let out a laugh.

"Ok, thanks, Basta! I'll keep that in mind." Daniel shook his head as he laughed.

After finishing his shift at VanDosen's, Basta jogged home in the snowy twilight. He entered the house, and darted straight down to the washroom to shower. He dressed in black slacks and a white button down, with the belt Anna gave him. The then combed his wet hair back, then went upstairs to greet the family. He found that everyone was milling about, getting ready to head out the door. Adrianna was fussing over Suzanne's costume while Julie fed Sylvie some apple sauce. Martin was pacing a circle with a wooden airplane in hand. Basta sat on a bar stool at the counter, close to where Julie was feeding her youngest daughter.

"Are you already to go, Martin?" Called Basta to the boy. Martin didn't look up from his feet, but flashed Basta the thumbs up.

"I'm ready to go!" Cried Suzanne in excitement. She had her costume in a canvas bag, and allowed Adrianna to help her into her long brown coat. "Are you excited?" She asked Basta.

"Very" he said, while raising his eyebrows for emphasis. The girl giggled. Julie wiped some sauce from Sylvie's face before announcing that she was ready to go as soon as she dressed the baby in a jacket.

It took the family six minutes to get dressed in coats and boots and hats and scarves and mittens. When they were finally out the door, it was dark. Snow fell from the black sky, and big white clouds appeared before everyone's mouths as they breathed the chilly night air. Martin walked next to Basta, who followed Adrianne and Julie. Suzanne walked ahead, skipping excitedly over the icy sidewalk.

"Watch your step, honey!" Called Julie. She was carrying Sylvie, who didn't seem to appreciate the cold very much. She whimpered and studied Basta, who was walking close behind. When she was close to tears, Basta would make a face, or thumb his nose. The little girl would squeal in delight and laugh, until he stopped. Then her little face would resume a serious composure, until she felt the cold and began to tear up again. Basta stuck his tongue out and crossed his eyes. Sylvie laughed. The process lasted what felt like an eternity for Basta (who had naturally run out of silly faces to make). When they finally arrived at the school, Basta was relieved. They entered the warm building, and stomped the snow off their boots on a wet mat spread out before the door. The school was a small building, and after Suzanne ran off the dressing room (IE, the girl's lavatory), Julie led the family to the gymnasium, where a number of seats were arranged, facing a makeshift stage. Everyone took their seats, and draped their coats over the backs of their chairs. Other families had arrived, and were already seated; chatting amongst themselves and nodding and motioning with their hands.

Basta yawned heavily before taking a look around. On the stage was a small pine tree, decorated with candles and ornaments.

"That's a nice Christmas tree" he heard Adrianna murmur to Julie, who nodded in agreement. _Ok, so Christmas involves dead trees covered in candles and glass ornaments. Strange... _Basta frowned a bit, trying to comprehend. Then he noticed a number of construction paper cut outs of angels and babies and shepherds.

When the gym had filled up, and the lights were dimmed, a hush ran over the audience when an older lady stepped across the stage, and sat at an old piano. Another woman came out, dressed in a tweed skirt suit, and introduced herself as the seventh grade teacher. She announced that the school had worked very hard to put the production together, and then said Merry Christmas.

Everyone applauded (Basta didn't know why). Then after the tweed lady left the stage, the piano lady began playing a song Basta had never heard before.

Children dressed as shepherds came onstage, pretending to tend to imaginary sheep. Eventually, a pretty blonde girl dressed as an angel came on stage.

"Do not be afraid" she said to the shepherds. Basta watched in mild fascination as the angel asked the shepherds to follow her to a manger, where a saviour had been born. Though Basta did get bored as the play progressed, he grew excited again when he saw Suzanne. She was dressed in blue robes, with a white veil, knelt around a cradle with a man in a red robe. In the cradle was a baby doll. Basta was surprised when they announced that the baby- named "Jesus"- was the saviour. Suzanne's character, named Mary, was a virgin, though she somehow became impregnated with the child, who was the son of god. That didn't make much sense to Basta at all. How could you be a virgin and carry a baby? Basta figured that maybe Mary had had too much to drink one evening. He also considered rape. And who was God anyways? He just couldn't seem to wrap his head around the idea, though he found it interesting. He sort of liked it, too. Something about the music that the piano lady played, and the way the choir sung. It made him feel soft and warm inside. Not the way Anna made him feel, but soft and warm in a different way. When the play was finished, Basta and the family waited in the hallway for Suzanne. She came from the girl's lavatory, beaming and smiling beautifully.

"Wonderful performance, dear!" Cried Adrianna, wrapping her granddaughter in a hug. Julie ruffled the girl's hair and congratulated her with a kiss on top of the head.

"You were wonderful" she said proudly. Martin smiled at his sister. As they left the school, Julie was looking tired and worn out, so Basta offered to carry Sylvie for her. Julie seemed surprised, but nodded and handed the sleeping child over to the young man. He winced as he took the child, but soon relaxed. She was sound asleep and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't mind carrying her, though it made him feel very strange. He suddenly felt very responsible. It was strange for him to think that the baby depended on him... he bit his lip and resisted a little smile. Instead he congratulated Suzanne again as they walked back to the house.

For once, Basta really did feel at peace.

**A/N:**

**Liebens! I am so sorry its taken so long to update. I've been busy. The older you get, the more stressful Christmas time becomes. Which is stupid. I hope you find this chapter mildly enjoyable. Guys... there may be some Anna in our future ;) **

**Updates on the blog. My photo intense "Naught Entry" and a rant entry about little kids that try to grow up too fast. That's the good stuff. ;) **

**I'll try to update SOON! :D Psst... review... **

**PS: DANKE SO MUCH, BASTAS BABE AND BASTAS GIRL! **


	24. Chapter 24: The story of Julie & Sylvie

Chapter 24: The story of Julie, Sylvia, and Michael

It was December 22nd, a week or so after Suzanne's Christmas play. He lay awake in bed, his mind swimming.

There was lots of talk at VanDosen's about a big Christmas party being held in the Alps, and they had been asked to cater it. It was a big party, and apparently the job of the year.

Basta had just started to wrap his head around the whole idea of Christmas. He understood the story behind it, thanks to Suzanne's Christmas play, but around the house there had been chatter about Santa, and Christmas presents. There were murmurs about Christmas trees, and Adriana had bought a pine wreath and hung it on the door. Julie had placed a glass bowl of peppermint candies on the coffee table (Basta made regular stops at the candy dish). And Basta had noticed a change in the children. They started to behave more, they seemed very excited.

The young man tossed and turned, tangling his legs in the sheets. He was too warm, and felt sweat beading on his chest. He sighed, and swung out of bed. He decided he was thirsty, and padded soundlessly upstairs, to the kitchen. Basta was surprised to see that the kitchen light was on. He was taken aback to see Julie standing over the sink, her head bent low. She was dressed in a night dress, with a robe overtop.

"Julie?" He said softly, hoping not to startle her. Her head came up, and she turned around. Basta was a bit surprised to see that her robe was untied, showing off the deep V if her night dress. She quickly did up the ties, covering herself up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine... what are you up to?" Her voice was tired. Basta realised that there was something wrong with the woman. He had begun to notice it earlier in the month; her being constantly tired and unenthusiastic.

"I'm thirsty. I wanted some water. Are you sure you're ok?" Basta felt slightly guilty for pushing to topic. But he knew that he secretly wanted Daniel to get him to talk about his problems when they were together. Basta figured that since Julie was a woman, she would be more opting to talk about it. Not that women naturally opened themselves up to Basta or anything.

"I'm just tired" she said with a sigh. She reached into a cupboard and selected a glass. She wandered over to the sink, and filled it for Basta.

"Thank you" he said, taking the cup. He knew that there was more to Julie than just tiredness. There was something else. He was just about to turn and leave, when Julie spoke.

"I miss my husband" she blurted suddenly. Basta froze. It took everything in him not to cringe. He didn't have any relationship advice to give.

"I'm sorry to hear that" he murmured awkwardly, hoping she wouldn't cry. He became even more agitated when he heard her sniff. _Oh merciful lord _he thought. He wanted to get the hell out of that living room. He frankly didn't want to know what happened to Julie's husband. He took a long hard stab of water. Julie made her way to the living room couch, and sat down. Basta didn't know what to do. He stood awkwardly in the kitchen, wearing nothing but his army pants. He really did wish he had a shirt on (he felt self conscious about his arms, even in the dark), and he was reluctant to sit beside Julie. When he did, he kept his feet planted on the ground. He didn't prop his heels up on the coffee table, like he usually would.

"He died" she said, her voice low and sad. "He committed suicide two years ago."

"Julie, I'm so sorry." Basta's voice took on a sympathetic tone. He really did feel bad for the woman. He himself had experimented with suicide, so naturally, the topic touched him. Julie began to cry, and she bent her head as she wept. Basta considered putting a hand to her back, but instead he tried to comfort her through words. "If he committed suicide then there was something wrong with _him_. There's nothing you could have done." He kept his voice low and soft, and became confused when Julie began shaking her head. Her shoulders shook as she struggled to contain her sobs. As she shook her head, she began to look up. She dabbed some tears from her eyes, and took a deep shaky breath.

"It was because of me" she whispered.

"Oh no, it surly wasn't..." he began, but Julie cut him off.

"I had an affair." She squished her eyes shut. Basta noticed a tone of disgust and regret in her voice. "I kept it a secret, then I got pregnant with Sylvie." Basta was becoming very uncomfortable. He didn't want to hear anymore of Julie's story, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away. "When Michael found out, it devastated him." Tears plopped onto Julie's limp hands. They looked like worn out gloves, tossed into her lap. "It was just too much for him, he was always so sensitive. He hung himself in the tool shed. I told the children that he had just passed away in his sleep." Julie couldn't control herself any longer. She cried hard, but quietly enough so that the children upstairs couldn't hear her. Basta didn't know what to do. He set the water glass down on the table, and relaxed a bit on the couch. He put a hand to Julie's shoulder, and pulled her head into his chest. She relaxed after a while, her body quivering as she controlled her sobs. Eventually his heartbeat lulled her to the point where she just sniffed. The tears were cool and wet against Basta's bare skin. He wasn't exactly comfortable having the woman cuddled up against him, especially since he was lacking a shirt, but he didn't squirm away. Instead he put a hand on her arm, and let her soothe herself. When he thought she had fallen asleep, he began to wriggle away. She spoke.

"Having you around has been really good for the kids" she said softly. "I was nervous at first, but I think it was a good choice. They really look up to you. Especially Martin..." She sighed shakily. Basta was officially put at the end of his comfort zone.

"I'm happy I could help" he managed to say. Though he found it hard to keep his composure. "Good night." He got up after Julie had straightened out.

"Good night" she said. Her voice sounded more even.

"Good Morning" said Mr. VanDosen, when Basta appeared in the restaurant for his waiting shift.

"Good morning, sir." Said Basta. He felt sleepy, as he didn't get much sleep. Julie's confession at 3 in the morning didn't help much either.

"I was wondering if you were free on December 24th."

"Of course, sir."

"Excellent. I need you and Daniel and Jerry to cater to a huge event. It's a bit of a ways away, and will take a while to drive there."

"It's no problem to me, sir." Basta strained to remember who Jerry was.

"Excellent" said VanDosen. "Usually it's very hard to find staff on Christmas Eve. Daniel isn't too happy I'm making him work!"

"Well I'll be there." Basta forced a smile at the short, round man. When VanDosen left, Basta sighed to himself. He wondered if this big party was the same event that the Nazis were planning. Though he highly doubted it. He went to work, taking orders, fetching food, though his mind was elsewhere, thinking about Julie and her story. Julie just seemed so nice, he wondered why she would ever do something as skanky and wrong as adultery. _Maybe her husband wasn't enough for her _he thought. Then he remembered that Anna was cheating on Landa. Then again, Landa wasn't really her boyfriend. Then Basta' stomach tied in a knot when he remembered that Alessandra. Though had hadn't technically cheated on Anna, considering they weren't officially "together" and also considering the fact that Anna probably never wanted to see him ever again. Basta sighed ruefully. To his embarrassment, the man sitting at the table he was waiting looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Basta compressed his lips and walked away.

When Basta got home after work, he explained to Adrianna that he was working Christmas Eve. The older lady said that was alright, but he would be missing a nice supper.

Before supper, Basta played with Sylvie on the floor. He couldn't help but stare at the little girl's face. Now that he was informed, Basta could see the differences between Sylvie and her siblings. Her hair color, for one, was blonde, unlike the reddish and copper colors of her siblings. The little girl's storm grey eyes widened as she looked at Basta. She giggled, and pushed a wooden ducky across the floor. Basta lay on his stomach, and watched the girl playing, occasionally snatching the ducky away from her, or making a silly face.

**A/N: **

**Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, guys. I hope you enjoy anyways. **

**Remember to review! ;) **


	25. Chapter 25: The Christmas Party

Chapter 25: The Christmas Party

Basta woke up at 5:00am on December 24th. He yawned, and stretched, then rummaged through his dresser to find his uniform. VanDosen told him to wear nice black slacks, dress shoes, and a nice shirt. Apparently the party was very upscale and classy. Basta made a face of disgust. He took his time showering, scrubbing his hair with his knuckles and fidgeting in discomfort. He'd been feeling extremely anxious and depressed. He missed Anna, and he felt very lost and confused. Basta shook his hair dry after stepping out of the shower. He brushed his teeth, gawked at his reflection in the foggy mirror, shaved, scowled at his reflection, groaned. He dressed, then padded upstairs for a quick breakfast. He had a muffin and milk, then took some peppermint candy from the dish. After dressing in his jacket, Basta stepped out into the darkness. Snow fluttered from the sky, but there wasn't a single whisper of wind. He was amused by the clouds that grew before his mouth and nose.

"Good morning" said Mr. VanDosen, opening the door of the restaurant for Basta.

"Morning" Basta acknowledged the man with a nod.

"All ready to go?" Asked the man.

"Yes." Basta sighed in content as the warmth of the restaurant enveloped him.

"Daniel and Jerry are loading the truck."

"I'll meet them then" said Basta, walking towards the back room.

He wasn't surprised to see the truck running in the snowy alleyway. Basta recognized Jerry as a muscular young man with dark brown hair slicked back under a tweed newsboy hat.

"Basta!" Called Daniel, waving. Basta waved back, then bent down to pick up a cardboard box. He carried it to the back of the truck, and passed it to Jerry, who nodded his acknowledgment.

When the truck was loaded with a great number of boxes, the sky was turning light blue. Jerry sat on the bench between Basta and Daniel. Basta felt his stomach flipping and knotting. He didn't know why, and he found it hard to sit still. He figured he was excited to see what the party looked like.

The old truck rambled up the snow packed road, North West towards the Alps. Basta propped his knees up on the dashboard and nodded off for most of the trip. Chin slumped against his chest, he breathed quietly for a number of hours.

"OH SHIT!" Daniel yelled out. Basta's eyes shot open and he felt nauseous. The truck was spinning counter clockwise.

"Fuck! What's happening?" shouted Basta. He gripped the door with one hand, and to his embarrassment, Jerry's thigh with the other. Eventually, the truck slid into the roadside ditch.

Once the truck had stopped, all were silent. The sound of Basta's heavy panting filled the cab.

"What the fuck just happened?" He asked shakily, unclenching Jerry's thigh.

"We spun out of control" growled Daniel. He grumbled and buttoned up his jacket. "We need to push the truck out."

"What?" Basta was shocked that Daniel would even suggest pushing the truck. It was too heavy! Jerry sighed and slid across the bench. He hopped out, into the snow. Basta howled in frustration and opened to passenger's door. He swung his legs out, landing his shiny oxfords in ankle deep snow. Yellow shoots of grass poked up from the dry snow, swaying in the chilly breeze that swept over the countryside. "Fuck" he muttered to himself. Daniel was around the back of the truck, inspecting the tire tracks that turned off the road.

"I don't think we'll be able to push it!" Called Jerry.

"Ya think?" Snapped Basta sarcastically. Jerry rolled his eyes.

"We need to get help."

"Help? Whose gunna help us? We've been driving for hours!" Basta's temper began to flare. He hadn't expressed his anger or frustration in a long while, and it all began to bubble to the surface. "I haven't seen a single car for fucking hours!"

"He does have a point" muttered Daniel, scratching his auburn hair. "Damnit my father is going to kill me!" Basta clenched his jacket tighter around his body. The wind bit through the fabric and nibbled through his white tee-shirt.

"So what do we do?" Asked Jerry, crossing his arms over his chest.

"One of us waits here while the others go for help" said Daniel simply. "I'll stay with the truck, since I'm responsible for what happened."

"Ok, fine." Snarled Basta. "I'll start walking." And he did exactly that. He trudged up the little slope, and wriggled his feet to get the snow out of his low cut oxfords. He then began his hike up the long, deserted road. Jerry lingered behind, walking slowly and calmly. That made Basta hate him even more. An hour into his trudge, after the truck was out of sight, and when Jerry's constant whistling nearly drove Basta to insanity, an army jeep could be seen rambling up the road in the distance. Basta was in too foul a mood to whoop for joy. "Jerry! Truck!" He said, jutting his chin out in the direction of the jeep.

"Really?" Jerry quickened his pace, and joined Basta's side. Sure enough, a green jeep rambled up the road. "Jesus, they're German!" Jerry shifted uncomfortably.

"FUCK" Basta felt sweat bead on his forehead. _Not good, not good, not good, not good... _His eyes widened and he felt his heart rate speed up. The jeep slowed, and stopped before the men. A tall, fit man hopped out of the passenger seat. He was blonde, well groomed, and dressed in a dress uniform and long dress coat. He had thin, black leather gloves on his hands. To Basta's surprise, Jerry began speaking in German. Basta kept his head down as Jerry conversed with the tall, athletic man. Eventually, Jerry tugged Basta's sleeve, bringing him towards the jeep. They hopped in the back, and held on as the vehicle got going again.

"Are they going to help?" Whispered Basta to Jerry. Jerry nodded.

"They have a winch they're going to use to tow us out."

"Great." Basta just nodded, and kept his head down. He didn't want them to see his face. When they got to the delivery van, Daniel was standing on the road, hugging himself and shivering. He seemed thrilled to see the jeep. Everyone got out, and attached a hook to the rear bumper of the truck, which was attached to a chain and to the jeep. The driver of the jeep put his vehicle in reverse. The engine made a terrible sound as he pressed the gas. The tires slipped on the icy road, but eventually the jeep began to reverse, tugging the truck with it. The look on Daniel's face was that of pure joy. When the truck was safely on the road again, Jerry thanked the Germans. The rest of the drive was rather slow, since the accident. It was twilight when Daniel pulled the truck up a snow drive way. Basta's eyes widened when he noticed a grand ski lodge perched atop the hill. The Alps were dark blue lumps and triangles in the background, and dark green trees surrounded the brilliant building. Basta was in awe at the sight of the building. Huge, with cedar siding and enormous windows. Parts of the building peaked in triangular shapes. Piles of snow six to eight feet high were piled up beside the house. Lamps placed on the sides of the lodge glowed orange in the fading light. A large chandelier was visible through a collection of grand windows.

"It's _beautiful!" _said Basta in awe. He marvelled at the brilliant building.

"Yes, and we're very late." Daniel grumbled. He pulled the truck up to its spot, closer to the back of the lodge. A man in a fancy suit outfit came out a door and raised his arms in the air, as if to say: _What gives! _Daniel seemed flustered. He parked the truck, and every one hopped out. "Let's get to work" said Daniel. Jerry opened the back of the truck, and Basta hopped in, looking for a box to carry in. He was surprised when he was overcome with a rush of butterflies. He didn't know why... He ignored the fluttering sensation, though, and walked into the lodge's kitchen with the box in his arms. It took the men several minutes to get the boxes of food into the kitchen. Once it was all inside, they stripped out of their jackets and kicked the snow off their shoes. Daniel pulled a bowtie out of his pocket, and Jerry took the hat off his head. Basta just scuffed the floor with his damp oxfords and tried to push the jittery feeling away. For the first time in a long time, he felt _excited_. _But for what? _He wondered, frowning. He sighed, gave his hands a little shake, and suddenly realised that he looked under dressed. Daniel was adjusting a bowtie while Jerry smoothed the collar of his button down. Basta was only dressed in black slacks, and a white teehsirt. The dressiest part of his wardrobe was his shoes...

"Am I underdressed? " he whispered to Jerry, who was unpacking food onto a silver tray. Jerry raised an eyebrow and gave Basta a quick once over.

"It's too late to change now, sport!" he said, laughing. Basta. Sighed and lowered his eyes.

"Great" he hissed under his breath. "Just great." He washed his hands, and avoided Daniel's glare.

"You stick closer to the kitchen" growled Daniel to Basta, as he passed.

"I figured that much" snarled Basta in reply. He took a peppermint candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. Jerry placed the tray in the oven. The three men worked on heating up the food, and arranging the hors d'oeuvres on trays.

"Basta, you can take these" muttered Daniel, putting a tray of hors d'oeuvres into Basta's arms. Basta pressed his lips together in a sort of smile, and nodded. He walked towards the swinging doors, then entered the lodge.

Christmas music, played from a grand piano, resonated through the grand hall of the beautiful timber style lodge. The place was aglow with the light from the sparkling chandelier, and several classy lights fixed on the wall. Basta could never believe the beauty of the architecture on Earth. Everything was so clean and warm, unlike in Ombra, where everything was cold and covered in an inch of dust. He took a deep breath, kept his head low (out of pure fear that one of the hundreds of Nazi officers milling about would notice him). An older officer took a piece of food from Basta's tray. Basta stood uncomfortably, not sure what to do. He began looking around the lodge, at all the smartly dressed officers and their dates, dressed in gowns. There was so much glitter and glitz. Basta thought it was all very beautiful. His heart pounded briefly, and he found himself looking up, beyond the officers, to a broad archway. A peculiar looking plant, mistletoe, was hung on the wooden frame. Under the arch, to Basta's horror, surprise, and delight, was Colonel Hans Landa and Anna Erlichmann.

Basta's heart did a double beat and his stomach swarmed with butterflies. Anna was dressed in a _gorgeous _champagne coloured gown. The fabric clung to her slight hourglass frame, and draped on the ground. Her chocolate hair was swept up in an elegant chignon, and two strands curled around her beautiful face. Landa held onto her thin waist, and swept her up in a quick, romantic kiss. Basta felt incredibly jealous, especially when Anna smiled and put a hand to the Colonel's shoulder. He stood there, like a complete idiot in _complete_ view for what felt like hours. His cheeks were hot, and a cold rush of jealously pumped through his body. He could feel his heart thumping against his narrow ribcage. As if in slow motion, Anna's head turned. The world seemed to slow down when her gorgeous green eyes rested on Basta's stricken face. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. Basta could hear his own heart beating, over the piano and the many conversations about him. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, a connection was made. But, Anna quickly turned her head away. She kissed Landa's cheek, then left his side. She began walking down the hallway. Basta felt his legs surge. Landa Walked away, and joined a conversation with a few other officers. Very quickly, Basta shoved his tray into the arms of a man browsing the treats. He went after Anna, walking very, very fast. He didn't want to catch anyone's attention, but at the same time all he wanted was to catch Anna. He caught up fast. She was pressed against a wall, undoubtedly waiting for him.

"Anna!" he breathed, stopping before her. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be panting a bit. But her eyes opened sharply.

"Basta!" Her voice was teeming with emotion. She caught him by surprise, though, with what she said next. "I read your book... I read the book, Basta, and you didn't want to do it! You cried for years and you tried to commit suicide, you didn't want to and you hate yourself for it!"

Though that was completely out of the blue, Basta knew exactly what she was talking about it. A brief flashback of the night in the forest blew through his mind. _The baby with eyes like forget-me-nots... _He could only bring himself to nod, suppressing tears. Not speaking in fear of his voice choking up or cracking. _Anna_... she was back in his arms, once again. He held her close, and brought his face to hers. They hugged fiercely. She pulled away, then spoke quietly.

"I missed you." She breathed. There were so many words Basta wanted to say. So many things. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything at all. He glanced around quickly, in the direction of the party. They were in a hallway, Anna's back pressed against a wall, a closet door just a few feet away. Above by several feet and across the hall was the second level, sectioned off by a grand timber railing. The long, elegant staircase leading to the floor with four doors was further up the hallway. Anna touched Basta's arm, making the young man jump. A sort of electric jolt seemed to pass through them. Suddenly he was consumed by the emotion that had haunted him since he had first laid eyes on Anna. Without her consent at all, he snatched her in his arms and kissed her mouth with aggression and passion. She obliged, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. His hands didn't stay put; they wandered from her narrow waist up to her face. He cupped her soft cheeks in both his hands as he aggressively kissed her mouth. An idea struck him, and in an instant he began steering her in the direction of the closet. He kissed her with his eyes open, and breathed into her open mouth. He opened the door clumsily, and stumbled inside, dragging Anna in with him. She was already breathing heavily, making little moans between breaths as she struggled to contain herself. Basta swiftly closed the door, engulfing them in darkness. He didn't waste any time at all. Though he couldn't see, he used his hands to find Anna. Gruffly, he pinned her against the wall and planted his hands on either side of her face. She gave into her own desire, and leaned into his face, kissing him with softer, swifter versions of his messy lip locks. As she worked on his mouth, Basta wasted no time at all. He fumbled blindly with his belt, his hands literally shaking as he violently pulled at the leather. Once he had pried the belt open, he worked on his button and zipper with one hand while he jerked Anna's dress up with the other. She helped him, hastily lifting the sheet of heavy, glittery fabric off the floor, exposing her warm, soft thighs to him. Basta didn't bother with foreplay. As the woman gripped the shoulders of his tee-shirt with her hands, he panted and gasped far too loudly as he shoved his pants and boxers down far enough to expose himself. He then harshly grabbed Anna's waist, lifting her upwards. He then moved himself towards her, then set his hands on her thighs. She was pinned against the wall, and gripped his shirt with a vice grip. He didn't waste any time and unkindly thrust into her. He was driven by pure passion, and though he cared very much for the wellbeing of the soft, beautiful woman before him, he had a terrible throb in his groin that begged to be released. Anna gasped as loudly as he did as he struggled to keep her raised off the ground as he fucked her to his own desire. Basta was not a very tall man, and Anna was only a few inches shorter than him. He found it quite difficult to grip her thighs and keep her elevated, especially as he worked hard to satisfy his own pleasure downstairs. But he found it to be a very rewarding experience, with the burn in his arms and the release of pressure in his groin. Anna was trying very hard to keep her voice down. She gripped Basta's hair with one hand, and clawed at his shoulder with the other. She tried to sloppily kiss his face, but instead tilted her head back against the wall, crushing her pretty hairdo. Basta himself was being extremely noisy. He made a slight effort to stifle his gasps and near cries. He was sweating all over, and when Anna pinched the hairs on the back of his neck as she reached a loud climax, Basta found it increasingly difficult to contain himself. He came with a low shout, and his forehead came in contact with Anna's. They breathed heavily in each other's faces. Basta's limbs suddenly shook, and he found it hard to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell heavily as he panted and blinked sweat out of his eyes. Anna sighed loudly, and allowed Basta to carefully set her on her feet. She swayed for a moment, and held onto Basta's swelling bicep for support. He zipped and buttoned his pants with quivering fingers, a smile miles away from his lips, though inside he felt elated. His harsh breathing subsided as he cranked his belt back into place. Anna adjusted her clothing, and fidgeted with her hair.

"Basta..." she managed to murmur. Her voice held an impressed note to it, which satisfied the young man to his core. He couldn't think of anything to say. He just panted, and swept his damp hair back off his forehead.

"I've missed you too" he replied with a shaky breath. Anna let out a nervous laugh.

"What are you doing here?" She asked finally, as she fixed the rumpled mess of hair atop her head. Basta's heart was recovering from its previous race.

"I'm working" he said.

"Working?"

"Oh yes, I've gotten myself a job as a waiter." He was frowning, and fidgeted nervously with his belt. He was still relatively hard and stiff in his pants, and he didn't find it particularly comfortable. He wanted to take Anna again, but he also just wanted to talk. And he felt very unsafe with Landa being so close. Anna seemed impressed by his news, and she made a little sound that tipped it off. But before she could congratulate him, Basta rambled on. "Speaking of jobs, I see you still have some work to do..." he remembered seeing Landa kissing Anna under the mistletoe. Murderous thoughts galloped madly through his imagination.

"I know" she murmured, miserably. "I just can't bring myself to do it. I don't think I'm capable of taking a life..." Then she seemed to realise that she was his date, and he was probably missing her. "Oh, no! I have to go... I told him I was just going to touch up in the powder room..." Anna's voice was nervous.

"I can't let you go again" said Basta firmly. He knew he couldn't bear to be apart from her any longer.

"But Basta I must..." He began to shake his head vigorously.

"I can't let you I can't let you I can't let you" he was thinking frantically. He couldn't leave her... he just couldn't. But it's not like he could waltz out of the lodge with her on his arm. He couldn't take her in the dodgy delivery truck, sitting on his lap as they rambled back to the small town. What would Julie and Adrianna say if Basta brought the beautiful young German lady to their home? What would Suzanne think? But as his eyes began adjusting to the darkness of the closet, Basta could see the ghostly pale outlines of Anna's face, as she stared at him through the darkness. Was she thinking the same thing? Was she pondering ways to escape the wintery lodge with her scandalous lover? It was impossible. Basta knew it. It wasn't possible at all for them to be together. As long as Landa was around, the two couldn't be together.

"I need to go now" she said. Basta flinched. "This is very dangerous, but I want to meet up with you again." She spoke slowly, cautiously. Basta gulped.

"Where should I meet you?"

"Here, in this closet. In two hours."

"Ok." Basta nodded.

"You should lay low... if Landa sees you... oh my goodness, I don't even want to think about what he would do..."

"I'll meet you here" he said. It was a promise.

"Ok" she planted a quick kiss on his parted lips, before cautiously opening the closet door just a crack. "It's clear" she whispered, and the two stepped out. Basta studied Anna's face for a moment, under the cozy orange glow of the lamps. Despite the vigorous 'assault' she'd just endured, she looked smooth and fresh. Her cheeks were merely flushed a darker pink, and her skin appeared to be dewy, instead of the light, slightly powdered finish it usually had. Her lipstick was a bit smudged, but Basta quickly fixed that by running his thumb over the red parts. Anna smiled, and thanked him, then giggled at his appearance. He figured he must have had lipstick all over his face. Anna quickly ran the tip of her tongue over the pad of her thumb, then rubbed the lipstick off his mouth. Basta found himself getting a little bit excited. He wanted to take her again, though he knew it wasn't possible. Landa would probably get suspicious. _That damn clever bastard_. Anna's eyes met Basta's, and for a moment her eyes just twinkled and everything felt ok. Then she sighed and bravely squared her shoulders. "Two hours. You and me. Here."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" he purred. And that was the honest truth.

Anna set off towards the washroom, to _actually _do her makeup, and Basta slunk back into the party, with his head down, and went to the kitchen. Daniel was there setting hors d'oeuvres on a shiny tray. Basta had a terribly clever idea that would keep him away from Landa.

"Daniel" he said, rubbing the back of his neck (which was getting rather itchy as the sweat dried). "I'm far too underdressed. Would you mind if I worked here in the kitchen? I'm too embarrassed out there."

"That's a good idea" said Daniel, smiling a bit. The boy had obviously warmed up since their arrival at the lodge.

"Thanks" said Basta, smiling a bit. He was officially on a high. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he worked on arranging food on the trays.

"What are you smiling about?" Asked Daniel, taking a tray from Basta.

"Must be the Christmas spirit finally getting to me" he said with a crooked grin. Daniel just smirked.

"Merry Christmas, then" he said, chuckling.

"Merry Christmas" replied Basta.

Basta's eyes continuously flicked from the tray of food to the clock mounted on the wall. The minutes seemed to drag by. He found himself fidgeting anxiously as he stepped from foot to foot, getting desserts ready for the party. After an hour and forty five minutes, Basta told Daniel that he had to excuse himself for a while. Daniel just nodded, then grabbed a tray. After Daniel was gone, Basta hesitated before leaving the kitchen. He quickly snatched a packing knife from the counter, and slipped it into the side of his oxford. The hard, bulky shape dug into his ankle, but Basta ignored it, knowing it might come in handy in the future. Basta left the kitchen, and trudged through the maze of officers. He half ran towards the closet, looking over his shoulder all the while. Finally, he slunk into the darkness, and pressed himself against the far wall.. Basta stood frozen for several moments. Just when he thought he would open the door and step out into the hallway, to look for Anna, he heard a man and woman's footsteps approaching.

"Anna" came Landa's musical voice. "Are you enjoying yourself this evening?"

"Yes, Hans, I am." Anna's voice was even and calm. Basta felt his blood rush hot with jealously. Anger caused his cheeks to redden. _This is it _he thought angrily.

He heard the couple as they chatted quietly and went up the stairs. Eventually, a door clicked shut and all was silent. Basta's heart pounded. He plucked up his courage, and stepped out of the closet. He jogged up the stairs, and glanced up the hallway. Four doors lined the honey colored wall to his right. All white doors were closed. Basta pressed his ear to the first. He didn't hear a sound, and went to the next. Nothing. To the third: nothing. He moved on to the fourth, and heard Landa's voice. He couldn't make out specific words, but Landa's tone was seductive. Basta's heart pounded in his throat. He looked ahead, out the grand triangular window to the dark, velvet blue night. Snowflakes were fluttering down from the sky, like a million little feathers.

Basta knew, without a sliver of doubt, what he had to do. His subconscious had divided a plan, and his body was ready to carry it out. It was his conscious mind that was unaware of what that plan was. Basta's limbs shook slightly with the adrenaline that coursed through his dilated veins. He knew the plan.

Basta kicked the door handle, breaking the jam. He then kicked the door open, revealing a beautiful, high ceilinged room. Glossy hardwood was adorned with a tasteful rug. A number of fancy, upholstered chairs decorated the room. Landa was standing at the far end of the room, hands folded behind his back. Anna stood closer to the center of the room, prodding at her hair.

Both Landa and Anna turned to stare at Basta. Anna wore a look of pure horror on her pretty face, while Landa looked completely and utterly dumbfounded. To the far left of the room was a large window, overlooking the dark snowy forest outside. No doubt they were on the second floor. Basta knew the plan. He recalled seeing the snow banks piled beneath the windows. _He knew the plan._ Without a second thought, Basta reacted with absolute lightning speed. He grabbed the chair close to the door, and hurled it at the large window. The glassy surface shattered noisily after it was his by the chair. Before Landa could even think of reaching for his pistol, Basta charged at Anna. He picked her up, carrying her under his arm to an extent, but turning his body to shield her from Landa, and ran for the shattered window. Reminding himself of the snow bank two stories below, Basta didn't even flinch as he shoved Anna out through the broken window frame. She screamed, and disappeared into the cold night. When he looked up at Landa, Basta noticed that Landa's open mouthed expression of complete shock was quickly replaced with a cold, hard glare. Landa's chin squared as his jaw twitched and tightened. His attractive blue eyes narrowed to two cold, stone like slits. Basta knew that he had royally pissed of Landa, and this was it.

Basta thought Landa would suddenly start to speak, and perhaps monologue to an extent. He was utterly shocked when the older man began to just remove his stiff, decorated dress jacket. Basta felt his head surge as his pulse carried adrenaline through his body. Every muscle was tense and ready for the fight that would surely come. When Landa reached for the gun in the polished holster on his hip, Basta charged. He knew, in the back of his mind, that a fight with Landa would most likely end badly. As much as he hated to admit it, Landa was in good shape, and he had the size advantage over Basta. Though wiry himself, Landa had more muscle mass than Basta.

Basta swung a hard punch at Landa, and felt his knuckles come in contact with hard bone. He reached for the gun at the same time as Landa. Basta did not, did _not _want the gun to fire. It would surly attract the other Nazi officers. Basta battled the Luger pistol from the older man, eventually wrenching it from his hand. Without thinking, he threw the weapon out the window. Landa's hair, which had been styled nicely and combed back, was becoming dishevelled. Shorter strands tumbled before his forehead. His face was reddening. The two began punching each other with such incredible anger and hatred. Basta swung punches at Landa's handsome face, but couldn't seem to land any of them. Landa parried each blow, and finally struck Basta in the nose with a painfully powerful shot. Basta yelped in pain, and felt hot blood running down his face. Landa's expression was murderous. They grabbed each other's clothing, pressing their foreheads against each other, grinding their skulls together. Basta's arms were quivering from the exertion. Landa gave Basta a swift jerk, and Basta shook back. Finally, he landed a sharp kick to Landa's knee. Landa groaned in pain, and swung a punch. Basta felt the blow to his cheek, and punched back. He managed to clock Landa in the nose, and felt the cartilage break beneath his fist. Landa returned the favour by landing one on his jaw. He gave the smaller man a harsh shove, and Basta found himself tumbling backwards. To his horror, he landed on his back on the rug. The room seemed to spin, and Basta's head ached. Landa didn't waste much time, he strode over to Basta with an inhuman grace, circling him. He came close, after he had circled a couple times, and made a move to kick his head. Basta rolled out of the way and sprang to his feet. He charged Landa a second time, and managed to knock the colonel on his back. Basta straddled the man's hips, and landed a number of unorganized, hard punches on his face. Landa grunted and bucked his hips, successfully tossing his lighter attacker to the floor. He wasted no time, and assumed Basta's previous position. It angered Basta to his absolute core that Landa was perched atop his hips. Basta tried bucking as Landa had done, but did not succeed in tossing his attacker. For a moment he was helpless, and took the punches to the face. But when Landa began grabbing at his throat, in an effort to strangle him, Basta roared in frustration and threw his body to the side. He and Landa rolled several times, until the cold chill coming in from the broken window bit at their sweaty bodies. They had rolled over shattered glass, and Basta noticed that his tee-shirt was ripped, and stained with his own blood. A thousand sharp pains burned through his sides. He leapt to his feet, in unison with Landa, and they began fighting again. An idea suddenly dawned on Landa, and Basta realised what it was when the man kicked his legs out from beneath him. Basta fell to the floor in a bleeding heap. Landa came onto the floor with Basta, and struggled to push his neck onto the jagged, broken edge of glass protruding from the wooden sill. Basta let out a small cry. Landa was incredibly strong, and he had Basta completely pinned to the floor. One strong hand was pushing Basta's jaw towards the lethal edge of glass. Basta grunted and struggled, bracing against Landa's strength. Landa's face reddened and his hair fell on his forehead, giving him a savage look. Basta was absolutely terrified. Every muscle in his body was clenched, and his neck began to ache terribly. He knew he couldn't keep his neck elevated above the glass for much longer. His jugular swelled under his skin, and his face reddened from the effort. He found it increasingly hard to breathe. Basta's left hand grabbed blindly at the broken shards of glass on the floor. He finally managed to grip a long, sharp shard. It pained Basta to grip it in his hand, and he felt his palm bleeding, but it was his only hope. He raised his arm as much as he could, stabbing Landa's bicep. Landa cried in pain, and released Basta's face. Basta gasped loudly and withdrew the shard. He stabbed again, but with the full mobility of his arm. He planted the shard of glass in Landa's ribs. The glass dagger sliced easily through Landa's intercostals muscle. Landa let out a cry of pain that was so full of anguish that Basta's hair stood on end.

Since he had first come to Europe, Basta had adapted a new, softer personality. He had been alone and afraid, and took on a submissive personality.

But then, alone in that room with Landa, a man he hated, the old Basta had suddenly come back. It filled his tired, bleeding body with a surge of absolute malice. Basta was back.

With a battle cry, Basta whipped the packing knife from his oxford. In one swift movement, he flicked it open. The sharp blade glinted in the light, reflecting Landa's stricken expression. Basta had a nasty, _nasty _attitude. He rose to his feet, before the kneeling Landa. The colonel's face had lost all its color. He was chalky white, and blood dripped from both corners of his mouth, and out of his nose. He stared straight ahead, wincing in pain. Basta knew very well that he had punctured the man's lung. Landa couldn't breathe- or cry for help. With a nasty, crooked grin, he knelt before Landa, so they could see eye to eye.

This was his first mistake.

"Well, well" Purred Basta, in his supposed British accent. "What do we have here?" Landa glared at Basta, his beautiful blue eyes blazing holes through Basta's sweaty face. Basta smiled crookedly and examined Landa's expression. The Colonel was doing a good job at keeping his dignity. He wasn't crying, he didn't swear. He didn't breathe a word. He just struggled to take in breaths, making little moaning sounds. His eyes were creased in the corners, and he struggled to resist a frown. The corners of his mouth twitched, and blood sputtered from his nostrils as he tried to breathe. Basta knew very well that the inside of Landa's mouth was swimming with blood. The man was probably very close to drowning in the very fluid that kept him alive. While Basta smiled, Landa kept his expression stern. Basta ran the tip of the knife up the front of Landa's sweaty green dress shirt. The metal of the knife clinked over the buttons. When the knife tip reached Landa's heaving belly, a sudden hot pain ran through Basta's side. Landa had planted a shard of glass through the fabric of his tee shirt. Basta howled in pain, and thrust the blade of the packing knife into Landa's abs. The stabbing motion made a terrible noise, and Basta's stomach rolled. Landa gasped and frowned, and his mouth fell open. Blood escaped his mouth and ran down his lower lip like a water fall. Landa's shaking hands flew to his belly, cupping around the object lodged in his gut. Suddenly, Basta was overcome with a feeling of dread and guilt.

Yes, he hated Landa. But the man looked so helpless, knelt in a bed of broken glass with blood running from his mouth and nose. Basta felt his face warp into an expression of regret. He ditched his previous plan of withdrawing the knife slowly, and merely yanked it from Landa's belly. Landa gasped, and his eyes found their way to Basta's face. Their eyes locked. Landa did not wear a pleading expression. Basta was completely surprised and shocked with what happened next; Colonel Hans Landa spat blood in Basta's face. Basta clenched his jaw, and quickly stabbed the knife into the Colonel's chest. Landa fell to the floor, unbreathing. Basta rose to his feet, realising his pain, and strode over to the window. He was just about to leap out, when he heard Anna's high heels clipping down the hallway. Basta ran from the window to the door, interrupting Anna before she could come into the room and see what he had done.

"Basta!" She cried tearfully, her eyes searching his bruised and battered face. "Landa?" Basta just shook his head.

"He's dead" he said gruffly. Anna's hand flew to her mouth.

"Thank you" she whispered under her breath. Basta didn't respond in any way. He felt bitter and sick, and he was very, very sore. Anna made an effort to peer into the room, but Basta jerked her away. He didn't want her to see.

"We need to leave. Now." He said. Anna just nodded, craning her neck in the direction of the room as Basta dragged her away.

"This is bad, very bad." Anna's voice steadily rose to a high pitch, and she began hyperventilating. "What if they catch us? What if they see you?"

"Just come on." Anna allowed Basta to take her by the wrist and pull her through the hallway, away from the party. Basta was looking for a back entrance, a different way to get to the kitchen. The party was winding down, but the catering crew wasn't set to leave until later. Basta pushed open a door, which luckily lead outside. They jogged around the side of the lodge, over to where the delivery truck was parked. The snow seemed to take on a sort of sepia tone, and the sky looked dark, dark blue. Anna and Basta entered the kitchen, where Jerry was standing, looking bored.

"We need to leave now" said Basta to Jerry. Jerry looked up suddenly, then a look of shock passed over his face. Basta stood bleeding on the kitchen floor, grasping the wrist of a gorgeous young lady in a glittery golden dress.

"What the fuck did you do? Kill someone?" Asked Jerry. When Basta just gave him a long, hard, serious stare, Jerry's eyes widened.

"Holy shit you serious?" At that moment, Daniel came into the kitchen with an empty tray. He began saying something about how much everyone loved the chocolate, when his eyes suddenly fell upon Basta.

"We need to go. Now." Basta had his jaw clenched.

"What happened to you?" Cried Daniel.

"He fucking killed someone!" Snapped Jerry, who was putting his hat on his head and shrugging into his jacket.

"WHAT!" Daniel looked as if he were going to have a heart attack. "You did _what?"_ Anna suddenly interrupted.

"Basta witnessed the murder of a highly trained Nazi officer. He was lucky to escape with his life. Now we need to get out of here before the murdered finds Basta and kills him too!"

"_Fuck_, ok" said Jerry. He was already at the door.

"Shouldn't we tell someone?" Asked Daniel. Anna shook her head.

"No, we need to go." Basta nodded in encouragement. He stiffly shrugged into his jacket, and followed Daniel out to the delivery truck. Anna held onto Basta's arm, and led him towards the truck. Basta was very, very sore and he found it hard to move. His body was on fire in the places where the small shards of glass had pierced his skin. He knew that there were some pieces still lodged inside his body. His face was bleeding profusely, and he was almost sure he had a broken nose. Anna sat in the truck, wedged between Jerry and Basta. Basta slumped his head against the foggy window, and focused on breathing. He drifted in and out of consciousness as the truck bumped down the dark, snowy road.

He was tangled in an inescapable web of lies, and without knowing it, he had dragged everyone he knew into it with him.

**A/N: **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS, LIEBENS! **

**If you are reading this ****Before ****Christmas, it means that I have dragged my ass up a windy, snowy main street in the mountain town I'm staying at for Christmas to find an internet cafe, to upload this chappy before Christmas. **

**If you're reading this ****after**** Christmas, it means I was unable to escape my family for half an hour to make my way up to the local internet cafe, and had to wait until I got home (where internet EXISTS) to upload the chappy. **

**Well, it's currently 1:54pm MY time, on December 24****th****. Christmas Eve is a big thing in my family, and the Christmas Eve tradition we celebrate (a French Canadian tradition Called Reveillion (which I probably spelled wrong)) is a big deal. It's bigger than Christmas day. So why I'm sitting on this green leather couch typing this especially dark chapter instead of showering and getting ready, I really don't know. **

**I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC Christmas, and I'm sorry I couldn't get this chappy uploaded sooner. Because I know myself well enough to know that I am not walking over to the cafe today to upload this. I love you guys, but not enough to risk enraging my mother (even more than she already is) just to put this on this internet. **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! xoxo**


	26. Chapter 26: Sion

Chapter 26: Sion

Basta moaned. His head was in Anna's lap, but he felt as if his head was swimming. His entire body ached, and his shirt felt damp against his body. He lolled his head in pain, until Anna stroked his hair and murmured _Shhh shhh _to him. He drifted out of consciousness.

When Basta came to again, half an hour later, he managed to open his eyes. He was still in the cab of the truck, his head still in Anna's lap. His face was sore, and felt crusty and broken. He started crying. Usually, under other circumstances, he would have been humiliated. But he was so, so sore, that he didn't care if Anna heard him cry. His body was quivering, and Anna's hand passed over his forehead.

"He has a fever" he heard her murmur, though he couldn't be sure. His ears felt like they were full of cotton, and everyone's voices were hushed _wisp, wisp _sounds.

Every time the truck bumped, sharp pains shot through Basta's body. He would whimper, moan, or cry whenever it happened. Tears leaked from his eyes. There was one spot on his body in particular that made him wince: his left side. He vaguely remembered Landa stabbing him with a shard of glass...

He lost consciousness.

Basta awoke, hours later, in an unfamiliar room. He was lying on his back on a narrow bed with railings on both sides. A white, textured blanket was draped over the lower half of his body. Basta blinked his eyes, and noticed that he had a needle in his wrist. It was taped to his skin, and connected to a long, narrow tube, that was attached to a bag of clear fluids hanging beside his bed. He was dressed in a different shirt, a terrible looking white hospital gown. His face didn't feel crusty anymore, and when he raised a hand to his nose, he felt the texture of several stiff bandages shaped over the bridge. His lips felt split and cracked, and he didn't bother touching them. All he wanted to know was where he was.

Basta tilted his head to the side, and nearly cried out in pain. His neck was very sore, and he found it hard to move it. He figured the muscles were badly strained from when he had braced his neck against Landa.

_Landa. _Basta's stomach dropped as the gritty details of the fight came back to him. Suddenly he could see Anna. She was sitting in a chair at the other end of the room, her head in her hand. She was staring blankly ahead, looking as if she were a thousand miles away.

"Anna?" he called hoarsely. Her head snapped in his direction instantly.

"Basta! You're awake!" She was still wearing her gown, but the fabric had spots of blood on it. Basta knew it was from him.

"Where are we?" he asked, too sore to reach up to her. Anna pulled up a chair beside his bed and sat down.

"We're in a hospital in Sion." She murmured.

"What? Where?"

"Sion, sweetie. It was the closest city to the lodge." She gently stroked his arm. Basta frowned, and a headache started up.

"Where are Daniel and Jerry?"

"They headed back home..."

"How long of a drive is it?"

"I'm not sure." Anna's tone was sympathetic. Though he loved her, Basta was in a foul mood.

"What are we going to do?" He asked.

"We need to go to France."

"Because you completed your mission?" He asked. Anna's face turned red, and her eyes flicked away for a moment.

"Yes" she said, in a hushed voice. "Thank you."

"I couldn't let you kill him. You shouldn't have to do that."

"Well I appreciate it, I really do."

"Don't mention it." And he really meant that.

"They're going to release you tomorrow" said Anna.

"What time is it?" He asked, frowning.

"It's 2:00pm. Merry Christmas, Basta."

"2:00? Are you serious?" Basta's head swam. He felt as if he were underwater for a moment, floating in suspended animation. "Uhh, Merry Christmas to you too, Anna." He sighed, and Anna smiled briefly. "I need to go back... I need to visit the family that took me in."

"It's too risky to go back" said Anna, her tone apologetic.

"I have to! I owe them rent."

"Basta, I'm so sorry." Anna shook her head. Basta sighed deeply, and closed his eyes.

"Fine, alright." He made one brief nod. The pain in his neck was beginning to subside.

"I uh... I read the book. Titen Herz." Anna spoke slowly, and folded her hands in her lap.

"Is that what it's called?" He asked. He briefly remembered Anna mentioning this the night before, but he hadn't been paying attention. Anna nodded.

"I had no idea you had it so... rough..."

"What happens to me?" He asked. Anna fell silent. "How does the book end?"

"Do you really want to know?" She asked, frowning.

"Yes, I do." Basta sighed again.

"See, I don't really think I should tell you... and, why does it matter? You have a chance now, a chance to change your path. Which, believe me, you have already done to a point that is hard to believe." Anna touched her forehead, and glanced away. Basta's heart drummed nervously. "You really are a good person, Basta, and shockingly, this war has brought that person out. I don't know what was going on in that other world of yours; surly something was happening between the lines, but you... you are like someone completely different."

Basta's heart sunk. Surly Anna wouldn't have said that if she knew how brutally Basta had murdered Hans Landa. And his heart also sunk because he knew precisely what was going on between the lines.

The word abuse made Basta's mouth curve in disgust. It was a stupid word. _Abuse _didn't even begin to cover what he had gone through with his boss. And yet... it was the only word he could find that described what he had dealt with. But he wasn't about to say to Anna: _I was abused! _Because that just sounded stupid and immature. It was something a woman would say. So Basta just made himself look impassive, and built up that wall of his. He didn't want to let Anna in on his pain and struggling. What Capricorn had done to him would never be spoken of.

"I don't need to know" he said thickly. Though the curiosity had already started to gnaw at his thoughts. Just as Anna opened her mouth, and prepared to speak, Basta spoke again. "How are we getting to France?"

"I've already arranged for a ride" she said, under her breath. "We're _flying _in."

**A/N:**

**Thanks to those of you who reviewed my previous chapter. To be utterly honest, that's the most exciting chappy you're going to be seeing for a while. I spent so much time on that one, creating the perfect mixture (in my humble opinion) of sex, anger, hatred and pain. I think I have some problems. Lol. **

**Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It is much appreciated. **

**Now for some shameless self promotion: **

**I have posted an updated version of "My Inkheart Cast" on my website. See the classy, old school actor I picked for Basta! (Vote and rate! Find it under: "Inkheart/Inkspell Cast" on my ****homepage****). **

**Ever seen the movie **_**Passchendaele? **_**Join my 16****year old self on an adventure in a time bending vending machine in "Passchendaele: My adventure in Paul Gross' Movie". Reviews always greatly appreciated. **

**Ok, I'm done now. **


	27. Chapter 27: Wings

Chapter 28: Wings

Basta was sitting in the back of a black car with Anna. He was very nervous. They were driving out to a private airstrip, where a small aircraft would fly them to France. Then, after they landed, a car would take them to secret head quarters, where Anna would re-cap her boss on what she had learned about Landa, and the plans of the SS. Anna seemed nervous, and Basta figured he knew why. He had observed the lack of respect Landa displayed towards Anna. Surly she hadn't fetched any important information from the man.

As they sat in the back of the car, Basta put a hand to Anna's knee. He offered her a small smile. He wasn't feeling very good- he felt sore and achy. But the guilt over the murder had more or less washed away. It was replaced with a sort of itch. Basta couldn't help but drum his fingers on his knee, as he sat there in the back of his car. He felt irritable, and really wanted nothing more than to either go for a run, hit something, or fool around with someone. At that moment, he thought, it didn't even have to be Anna. Anyone... anyone would do. As long as she pulled his hair and he could pin her wrists. But of course this thought made him feel guilty, so he squeezed Anna's knee and focused his attention out the window. It was cold and snowy outside, and Basta didn't even know what the date was.

The car rolled to a stop, and Basta saw a great big grey _thing _parked out on a grass strip. Earlier, he would have asked Anna what it was. But his curiosity was replaced with frustration, and he merely stared at it, trying to figure out for himself what it was. It looked like a metal tube, painted flat grey, with broad wings sticking out the sides. It had a tail, and windows up front.

"That's our plane" murmured Anna. The driver got out and held the door open for Anna. Basta grumbled grouchily as he shoved his own door open and got out. His side ached with a searing pain, but he ignored it, and watched as Anna stepped through the snow in her pretty high heels. She had changed into a navy blue dress, and a hat. Basta didn't care for the dress all that much. Maybe it was because he was in a foul mood, or maybe because the novelty of his girlfriend was wearing off. Basta sighed. He knew that he wasn't sick of Anna... but part of him was very angry with her. And he didn't know why. "Come on, _Lieben_" murmured Anna, taking his arm and half dragging him towards the airplane. A narrow, foldable staircase lead up to the plane. Basta walked up first, his knees feeling weak as he approached the strange machine. When he got inside, he was surprised to see 8 seats in the narrow plane. He sat down, and Anna joined his side. He was very confused as to how fast the plane could go. In the hospital, Anna had said they would 'fly' to France. He figured that by fly, she meant travel very fast. "Buckle up" said Anna, clipping her own seatbelt over her waist. Basta didn't want to. "Come on" she said, smiling. She picked up the belt for him. She was about to connect the two parts, to buckle him in, but he quickly caught her hand. He looked up, and noticed that no one was looking their way... he forced Anna's hands down over the crotch of his fatigues. Anna blushed, and did her own brief scan of the airplane. A couple uniformed officers were standing around the entrance of the plane, talking. "Basta, stop" she whispered. But she wasn't completely serious; Basta saw a smile tugging at her lips. He was surprised when a smile passed over his own mouth. Not a happy smile... but a smile all the same. He was going to get his way. "Stop" she murmured again, laughing a little and trying to tug her wrist from Basta's grip. He didn't obey, and held her down. The officers were nodding, and began walking towards their seats. Anna grabbed Basta, giving his crotch a harsh squeeze. _Just _what he had wanted. He groaned, and released Anna's hand. She whipped it away, but not after giving his thigh a quick slap. "Manners" she hissed. Basta blushed and bowed his head, though he couldn't help but smile.

Once the officers were buckled in, the plane made a peculiar sound as the engines started. Basta peered out the window, and watched as the propellers on the wing began to spin. The plane began moving forward, but quite slowly.

"Here we go" said Anna, taking in a breath. Basta raised an eyebrow at her. _Should I be nervous? _He wondered. The plan picked up speed, then, out of absolutely nowhere, lifted off the ground. Basta balked in surprise.

"A-A-ANNA!" He sputtered, staring in horror out the window. The ground was already far below them. "Anna we're flying!" Anna tilted her head back and laughed.

"Of course we are, silly! We're in an airplane!" She laughed again before putting a comforting hand over his. Basta's stomach dropped a bit as he watched as the ground turned into a white and brown quilt below him. He was absolutely shocked when he saw that the wings were staying still, not flapping like a bird.

"How?" he demanded, staring at the metal wing.

"The propellers" said Anna. She pointed out the window. The propellers were spinning so fast Basta could barely see them. He couldn't even fathom how the propellers were keeping them in the air.

"This isn't right" he murmured, tearing his gaze away from the snowy earth thousands of feet below them. He was starting to feel nauseous.

The plane ride didn't last too long. Basta was relieved when Anna said the plane would be making its decent soon. Though, to his distaste, his ears began to ache terribly as the plan began to descend.

"Ow" he moaned, putting a hand up to his ear. He felt a popping sound deep in his ear canal, which horrified him. He jumped, and pressed both palms against his ears.

"Yawn" said Anna.

"What?" Hissed Basta frowning and frantically trying to clear the rapid popping sensation from his sore ears.

"Force yourself to yawn, or make a chewing motion with your jaw. It will clear the pressure. It's perfectly normal." She seemed calm, and suddenly yawned daintily. Basta tried to copy her. He forced a yawn, with a deep frown on his forehead. The pressure in his ears suddenly equalized with a discomforting crackling sensation. He moaned out of pure discomfort, and shifted uneasily in his seat. He forced himself to make a chewing motion with his jaw, flexing the strong muscles that ran over the structured surface. He whimpered in discomfort, as the pressure was building up again. He resisted the urge to stick his fingers in his ear, and yawned again. But his ears didn't crackle ,giving him a satisfied clear feeling. Instead, the pressure continued to build and build and build.

"FUCK!" He swore loudly jumping as far as he could with the seat belt in his lap. "FUCK!" He screamed the second time, and his voice nearly cracked. He jerked his body to the side out of sheer pain. He slapped a hand to his ear because of an intense pain deep within the canal. He roared in pain, and felt something warm on the palm of his hand.

"Basta! Are you alright? Just yawn!"

"FUCK, ANNA! I'm bleeding!" His tone was savage. Anna seemed taken aback. Suddenly, the plane bumped as it hit the runway.

"Oh thank god" murmured Anna under her breath. Basta groaned in pain. He felt an intense headache coming on. He didn't even care about the uniformed officers, snickering from their seats. All he could focus on was the agony in his head, and the fact that blood was draining from his ear. It was running off his palm and down his wrist, all the way down his arm and to the crook of his elbow. But suddenly... it was a relief. He didn't dare flex his jaw, but the pressure was gone... He tilted his head to the side, the side with the sore ear. He felt a rush of warm fluid, and the sound of liquid hitting the floor. Anna moaned in disgust. "We'll get you to a hospital" she said, putting a hand to his back. Basta said nothing, but as he began to walk, he felt extremely disoriented. He stumbled like a drunk until he fell over, hitting a wall. "Basta!" Anna took his arm, and rubbed comforting circles on his back. He managed to walk down the stairs of the airplane, because an officer was kind enough to help him stay on his feet.

A black car identical to the one in Switzerland was waiting. Anna, Basta, and two of the uniformed officers got in the car.

"We need to go to a hospital" said Anna to the driver.

"Sorry Miss" said an officer in a heavy French accent, "But we need to get to the rendezvous right away."

"In case you haven't noticed" hissed Anna, gripping Basta's shoulder, "this man has suffered some sort of ear trauma. He needs to get to a hospital. He's _bleeding _out the _ear_!"

"Yes, but you are under strict military command, and we must get your to the rendezvous. We have a clinic in the building, I'm sure someone can see to him." Basta could barely hear the conversation because of the ringing in his left ear. But the pain had subsided substantially, and there wasn't much blood draining from his ear. He took his hand away, and winced. He was wearing a white shirt, and the whole left shoulder was a dark, rusty red.

The car drove into a city- Basta didn't know which- and finally pulled up to a building. The officers got out, and held the door open for Anna. Basta followed her through the glass doors of the building. The officers led her down a hallway, but one put a hand on Basta's shoulder.

"Come with me" he said, in his hoity-toity French accent. Basta obeyed, and followed the man into an elevator. Basta grimaced. He remembered his first time in an elevator...

The man led Basta down a hallway, towards double glass doors with a cross printed on the surface with frosted glass. There was a reception desk to the left, and chair in a waiting room ahead. A cute blonde was working behind the desk doing something on a type writer.

"This man needs to see a doctor right away" said the French Officer.

"Of course" said the blonde, watching Basta with wide eyes. She led the way down a narrow hallway behind the reception desk. She held open a thick wooden door, and instructed Basta to sit. "A doctor will be with you shortly" she said. Basta nodded his thanks. The blonde left, and Basta was left alone in the small square room. It had a counter with a sink, an extra chair, and a small cot. Basta sat on the cot, and stared at the greyish walls. The window to his right, straight across from the door, had blinds pulled halfway down. It revealed the snowy street below, and the fading, blue-grey light. The examining room didn't have a light on, so it was filled with the dull dusk town from the sleepy city. It seemed very cold, and made Basta feel miles and miles and miles away from home. He was left on his own for only five minutes, before a knock at the door caught his attention.

"Come in" he said. The door swung open and an older, bespectacled fellow in a white doctor's robe stepped in.

"Good evening" said the doctor, his tone almost hesitant. He had grey hair and wore and expression of exhaustion. Tiredness seemed to be a popular trend amongst the Earthlings, Basta noted. "My name is Doctor Moreau."

"My name is Basta" he said, looking up at the French doctor Moreau. He missed Dr. Hertz, with his kind brown eyes and handsome smile.

"What seems to be the problem?" Asked the doctor, pulling up a chair and adjusting his glasses.

"I was sitting on an airplane- for the first time- and suddenly my ear started hurting and then it started to bleed. The pain has mostly subsided now, but I'm afraid to yawn..."

"I see" the doctor squinted and peered at Basta's shoulder. He then picked up a strange looking instrument, called an otoscope, and stuck it into Basta's ear. Basta flinched, and didn't particularly enjoy the doctor's breath on the side of his face. The doctor made a sound of frustration and withdrew the otoscope and wet a swab. Much to Basta's displeasure, the doctor cleaned out his ear with the swab. The blood had started to dry, and made a bit of a grinding sound that made Basta cringe. The doctor tossed the bloody swab, and put the otoscope back in. Basta didn't particularly enjoy having the man so close, and feeling his breath on his cheek, but when the man made pensive "mhm" sounds, and eventually took the otoscope out, Basta breathed a sigh of relief. "The changing pressure in the airplane had caused your eardrum to rupture" said the doctor, tossing out the otoscope cap.

"Will it heal?"

"Of course" said the doctor, scribbling something on a clipboard. "I'm going to prescribe some painkillers for you, to help with the pain. When you shower, put one of these-" the doctor held up a package of little whit ear plugs "in your ear, to keep the water and shampoo out. You want to keep your ear dry."

"Thank you, Doctor." Said Basta. He accepted the package of plugs, and took the prescription.

"Take it easy." The doctor showed Basta out of the examining room. The young man walked downstairs to the lobby, to wait for Anna.

Basta fell asleep, sitting in a lightly padded chair in the drab lobby. When the lady gently stroked his shoulder, and softly murmured his name, he awoke with a bit of a start.

"Hey, Lieben" Anna smiled softly and continued to stroke his shoulder. "How are you?" her voice was soft and sympathetic, and made Basta feel at ease.

"I'll be alright" he said, looking around, trying to orientate himself. It was dark outside, and the lobby was lit with a few soft light fixtures. "I uh, I have a prescription" he said, clearing his throat. His ear had drained some more fluid, which had dried to his neck.

"Alright" said Anna softly. She sat in the chair next to Basta's, and slowly teased his hair. "Are you ok?" She asked, her voice riddled with sympathy.

"Yeah" he said breathily, tilting his head back and peering at Anna. He managed a small smile. "How uh, how'd it go, in there" he nodded up the hallway. Anna sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"Alright" she said, shrugging. "Come on, let's pick up that prescription."

**A/N:**

**Heyy, guys! Long time no update, I know... I'm sorry. I've been busy with injured and sick horses. Although, today I galloped my horse bareback through the snow and it was a very good time. **

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I can really relate to Basta... I've burst my eardrums TWICE. And believe you me, it is AWFUL. All I really remember is lots of pain, and waking up with blood and orange fluid on my pillowcase. **

**Anyways, new blog entry if you're bored and have nothing better to do. Thank you for the reviews, they're much appreciated. **


	28. Chapter 28: Nightmare

Chapter 28: Nightmare

_A strong man was sitting on a chair at the end of the room. Basta walked across the floor, with no control over his feet. It was as if his legs didn't need permission from his mind to go forward. The man sitting on the chair stood up, standing at a sturdy 5'8. Basta felt the hairs on his arms stand on end, and suddenly his throat went numb. He clenched his fists and jaw, to the point where they hurt. _

"_Landa" he hissed under his breath. The brunette man made a little half smile, and tipped his masculine chin in Basta's direction. Basta's jade green eyes narrowed, and he clenched his jaw even harder, grinding his teeth. It hurt terribly bad to clench his cheeks like that, but squaring his chin helped him to feel more masculine. Landa raised an arm and Basta's eyes popped out of their squint. Landa had a loaded Luger pistol pointed in his direction. Basta's gaze turned to Landa's other arm. Knelt beside him, was Suzanne. The girl's coppery hair fell before her eyes, but she briefly raised her face to give Basta a long hard gaze. He felt his stomach get hot, and an ache ran through his body. She looked very sad, and so helpless. She needed him to protect her... Basta squared his jaw, clenching it even tighter, and the ache made him nauseous but he didn't care. He walked towards Landa and the loaded gun, unafraid. "You let go of her" he hissed in a poisonous tone, narrowing his eyes at the handsome man seated in the chair. Landa just smiled, his lips closed, and looked up at Basta with beautiful blue eyes. _

"_Make me" said Landa, in a light, teasing tone. This infuriated Basta. He took a step forward, and just as he was about to rip the man from the chair by his collar, Landa turned the Luger and shot Basta in the side of the head. Basta collapsed on his knees, crying out in pain... _

Basta's eyes shot open, and for a moment he was very confused as to what had happened. He looked around, only to find himself in the hotel room, with Anna. She was sleeping peacefully on her side, facing the opposite direction from Basta. He sighed, and put a hand to his throbbing, aching ear. He cringed in disgust when he realised his entire outer lobe was crusty. He grumbled and swung his legs out of bed. He began walking to the bathroom, but suddenly swayed on his feet. The room seemed to be moving, and he found it hard to keep his balance- and his stomach contents. The pharmacist had said it was Vertigo, and it should be expected. Basta sighed and after regaining his balance, made his way to the bathroom. He flicked on the orange light, and gazed at himself in the mirror. He looked miserable and tired. He turned his face to examine his ear. He cringed in disgust. The entire pinna was encrusted with dried blood and some orange fluid. He nearly hurled in disgust as he used his index finger to flake away the dried substance. Chips of dried blood collected in the sink, and once most of the flakes were off, Basta used a damp cloth to clean away the rest. He rinsed off the porcelain, then returned to bed. When he put his head on the pillow, Basta couldn't help but yelp in surprise. The pillow case was crusty! His yell awoke Anna, who moaned softly as she stretched.

"What's wrong, Lieben?" She asked, peering at him in the darkness.

"My pillow- it's covered in blood." Basta felt tired and helpless.

"You were murmuring in your sleep" she said softly, her voice wakening.

"I had a bad dream" said Basta as he fetched a towel from the bathroom. He draped it over his pillow before lying down again. Anna made a _tisk tisk _sound with her tongue, then propped her head up onto her hand.

"Tell me about it" she said, her hair draping over her hand. Basta sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

"It was about Landa" he said, absentmindedly massaging his earlobe. "He had Suzanne by his side."

"Suzanne?" Asked Anna, confused.

"One of the little girls I lived with for a month" he said.

"Right" said Anna, remembering.

"It was silly. He shot me in the head and I woke up with this bloody earache." Basta huffed a sigh. Anna murmured contemplatively for a moment, then slid out from the sheets. Basta was confused, until he felt her weight on his body. He couldn't help but moan pleasurably and let a smile come across his face. Anna kissed his bottom lip, and moaned his name very softly, in a seductive tone. Basta's smile widened and he grazed Anna's cheek with his hand. Anna slid down from his lips until her face was level with his crotch. Basta smiled hugely, to the point where it almost hurt his ear. When Anna snapped open the button on his pants and undid the zipper, he leaned his head far back in the pillow, smiling, before watching Anna go down on him. Shamelessly, he groaned in satisfaction and laced his fingers in her hair, resting the palm on his hand on the back of her head. He resisted every urge he had to push her down on him further. "Oh, Anna!" He murmured, gripping her hair tighter in his fist. It took everything he had from forcing her to take him all the way in. After about five minutes, hands shaking, Basta gently pulled Anna's head away from his crotch, and panted and struggled to control himself.

-X-

Basta awoke with the grey morning light, and found himself pacing the rough carpet in the hotel room. Anna was showering, so aside from the muted sound of water, and the _thipping _sound of Basta padding across the carpet, the hotel room was abnormally quiet. He found his mind wandering back to Switzerland, to the girls that he had spent a tender stage of his life with. He couldn't believe it... he actually... _missed _them. That statement alone was worthy of a gasp, and it irked Basta that he had let himself get so attached. The sound of running water stopped, but Basta continued to pace. He had money in his pocket, and wanted so badly to give it to Julie. The bathroom door opened, and Anna walked out, wearing a small silk robe and her hair up in a towel. Basta licked his lips and stopped pacing, and tried not to stare at her wet legs.

"Are you OK, Lieben?" She asked, casting him a peculiar glance. Basta nodded. In truth he didn't feel alright... he felt irritated and distracted. But he didn't want to get on Anna's bad side. So he kept his feelings to himself and plopped down onto the bed.

"You seem distracted" she said, and Basta rolled his eyes. "You know, Lieben, I have an idea" she said, sitting next to him on the bed. He could smell her soap and shampoo and his skin crawled... she smelled so delicious he would have liked to pin her on her back and kiss all over her damp body. But he refrained. "I think it would be a good idea for you to mail the rent money to that lady."

"That is a good idea" he murmured.

"The mail system today is a lot better than it was back in your day" said Anna with a smile. "It should arrive shortly, and I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture." Basta nodded and smiled. _Anna is so brilliant _he thought as he sat up to plant a kiss on her lips.

Basta spent the rest of his afternoon composing a brief letter to Julie (with of course Anna's help with the spelling of most of the words). Basta enclosed the rent money in the envelope, and slipped in a few candies from the hotel's front desk, as well. He followed Anna to the post office, where she bought a stamp and asked the man behind the desk to stamp _**Priorit**_**é**on the front. Then Basta watched as it was tossed into a bin.

"_Danke_, Anna" he said shyly. Anna smiled hugely at him, obviously impressed by his use of German. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before looping her arm through his. They walked hip to hip back to the hotel, each smiling broadly to themselves.

**A/N: **

**Goodness, I am so sorry for the much delayed update! How long has it been, anyways? I know this is a rather scrawny chapter, without much subject in it, but the chapters that will follow this one will take a drastic change... **

**As a Canadian, I actually do fit under many of the Canadian Stereotypes. **

**I DO speak French**

**I DO love beer**

**I HAVE used my outdoor balcony as a freezer (I'm not lying, people)**

**I DO say 'Eh'**

**I DID have an igloo in my back yard**

**And most importantly... ****I FREAKING LOVE HOCKEY.**** So my life, as of late, has been composed of me being a good little math student, spending hours and hours banging my head into my text book and sobbing over a graphing calculator, but when I'm not doing that, I'm watching hockey and cheering like a freaking maniac. With my team in a desperate rush to pick up a playoff spot (with, uhm, **_**SIX FREAKIN' GAMES REMAINING!) **_**you can't honestly expect me to be writing at a desperate time like this. **

**So anyways, here's the chapter, my apologies for it's patheticness. **


	29. Chapter 29: Raining Bombs

Chapter 29: Raining Bombs

_**BOOM!**_ Loud and strong, the sound caused Basta and Anna to jolt awake at the same moment, wide eyed and hearts racing.

"What was that?" Whispered Basta, but his voice was drowned out by the second hit. Louder than thunder, the boom jarred Basta's skeleton, and the hotel room seemed to shake. For a moment, Anna was stalk still and terrified, unmoving as if she were just trapped in a nightmare. But when it happened a third time, louder and stronger than the first two, Anna screamed and flew out of bed.

"WE'RE BEING BOMBED!" she screamed, her voice alone scaring Basta more than the thunder sound.

"Whats that?" He asked, but Anna just stood there, white as a ghost, staring wide eyed at the window. As Basta turned, and his eyes set on the city that had suddenly caught fire, the air raid siren went off.

Every hair on Basta's body stood on end.

It was easily the most terrifyingly eerie sound the man had ever heard. His skin grew cold and the hairs on his arms and neck stood straight up. Over the sound of the siren and the second boom, Basta heard commotion in the hotel hallways.

"RUN!" Screamed Anna, her voice shrill and very nearly animal-like. Basta, who had been sleeping in his pants, quickly grabbed a shirt off the end of the bed. Anna didn't bother to throw anything overtop her night slip, she just careened towards the door, flinging it open and revealing a hallway full of screaming people.

"Anna!" He called, trying to soothe her. When she didn't respond, he raised his voice to a jarring, harsh tone. "ANNA!" She stopped suddenly as he grabbed hold of her arm. He passed her his sweater jacket, and calmly ushered her into the hallway. People were yelling to get to the basement, when the hotel shuddered as another loud boom erupted from the world outside. This one was louder, and the floor rattled. Basta clenched his teeth and put a hand to his ear. He felt the inside getting wet, and he knew it was only a matter of time before fluid dripped out. Anna's entire body was shaking and she could barely walk straight. As people shoved past, Basta grew irritated and scooped up the trembling woman in his arms. He carried her through the crowd, and down a flight of stairs. People's frightened cries echoed in the stairwell, another jarring boom shook the building. Anna squeaked and buried her face in Basta's shoulder. He made sure to keep his balance as he carried the woman down the stairs. The height difference between the two was slight, and the weight difference was only slightly greater. Basta feared that he would tumble ass over end down the stairs, bonking Anna's head and taking out several other panicked people. But he kept a steadied pace, and it wasn't long before the crowd found themselves in the lobby. A bellhop, young and frightened looking, was directing people towards the cellar. Basta jogged with the weeping Anna in the direction the young brunette was pointing, but there were too many people in the lobby. All of them pushing, the crowd seemed to swell. Helpless, Basta found himself being pushed outside the hotel's revolving doors. He roared in protest, when suddenly, a loud ripping sound, the propeller of a plane, roared overtop the hotel. Anna screamed. Only moments later were the lobby alight. Basta found himself falling forward, and the world was very, very quiet. With a great flash, his back felt hot and thousands of hard objects were falling atop his body...

The sun was up, and the sky was a mixture of pink, pale blue, and washed out orange. Basta flexed his jaw, briefly confused as to where he was. But as he wiped ashy debris out of his eyelashes and opened his eyes, he suddenly remembered what had happened. He was laying on his belly, covered in a blanket of ash and rubble. His entire body ached, and the world was surprisingly quiet. Too quiet. As a matter of fact, Basta couldn't hear anything, not even his own shallow breaths. Feeling a crink in his neck, Basta flexed his neck to the side. As his spine readjusted, a hot rush of fluid spilled from his ear. He winced, as it was a terribly uncomfortable sensation, and tilted his head to the other side. Only a small bit of blood dripped from the other ear. He raised his head, expecting to see the lobby charred and burnt. Instead, he found himself looking at a massive heap of debris, with a fresh layer of snow lightly falling atop the mess. He gasped, and although no sound came out, a great cloud burst from his lips.

"Anna?" He tried to speak the woman's name, but no sound came from his lips. Confused, he spoke louder. "Anna?" Nothing. He screamed it: "ANNA?" he could only faintly hear a muffled sound. Basta felt hot tears spring to his eyes. _I'm deaf! _He thought, feeling distraught. _Oh goodness this is terrible. _He fought the urge to cry, and instead channelled his energy into finding Anna. He didn't have to look far; she was sprawled out about five feet away, covered in a thin, dusty blanket of snowflakes. Basta suddenly couldn't breathe. He felt his stomach twisting into a tight, hot knot. He suddenly saw her in his mind's eye: warm and clean, standing behind the bars of his cell, two months ago at the embassy. "Anna" He said her name, he had too, because at that moment he was sure she was dead and the only thing that could bring her to life was his voice. But what good was his voice when not even he could hear it? He crawled on his hands and knees to the crumpled figure wearing a night slip and his sweater jacket. "Anna?" He held back tears as he gently brushed her brunette curls off her porcelain white face. She was too pale... her skin seemed a bit bluish. Basta could scarcely breathe as he grazed the back of his hand over her icy cold cheek. As his eyes wandered over her still body, to her stark white calves, he expected her to be dead. He returned his attention to her face, and again ran his fingers over her cheek. He nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise when he saw a tiny little cloud puff out from her nose. He nearly whooped for joy. Anna was alive! Wasting no time, he pulled her still, cold body onto his lap. He cradled the woman in his arms, bringing his face to her chest and breathing his hot, damp breath on the base of her throat. At that moment, he could have kissed every inch of her body he was so joyful to see her breathing. He was so joyful in fact, that he didn't feel the icy chill of winter bite through his thin tee shirt. Instead he proceeded to huff his hot breath all over his skin while rubbing her legs in his hands. He was pleased to see one of her toes twitch. "Anna" he dared speak her name, and was disappointed when he found his hearing had not improved. But the woman's eyelashes fluttered and for a brief moment she looked upon his face. But her eyes closed again and her head turned into his chest. Basta quickly put her hands up under his shirt (her fingers were cold as blocks of ice, so he shivered thoroughly), and clasped her bare feet in his hands. He rose to his feet, cradling her in his arms, and began looking around the ruined city. Basta felt his heart sink. The city seemed to have been flattened. Buildings were reduced to piles of rubble, and great charred pits filled the streets. Streetcars were derailed, and here and there low fires burnt smouldering orange over piles of ruined lumber. There didn't seem to be a soul in sight. He felt so very alone at that moment- a single person left on a cold, destroyed planet. At that moment, as he stood there with Anna cradled in his arms, Basta wished with every fibre of his being that he was back in Ombra. The thought was so glorious Basta clenched his eyes shut for several moments, then opened them again, half expecting to see warm, green forests surrounding him. But alas, when he opened his green eyes all he saw was the cold, bitter morning, ashy snow, and ruined buildings. It was at that moment the tears finally fell. He let out a sob that he himself could not hear. Spittle flew from his lips as he stood, helpless and exhausted, before a ruined hotel with a half dead woman in his quivering arms. He sobbed until his knees shook and wobbled, and he swayed on his feet. It was only before he nearly collapsed that he pulled himself together and suddenly stopped his tears. He sniffed back his runny nose and took a great, shaking breath. He walked forward, not knowing where he was headed. He walked in the direction of a fire burning across the street. Though scared as he was of the open flames, he craved heat and wanted to warm Anna's stony body. But truth be told, he was exhausted and ill. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in quite some time, and from lack of sleep he could barely hold Anna's body. He stopped walking, and paused on the street. He swayed and his knees gave a small wobble, and he thought he would fall over. His ears were itchy from the blood drying in them, and the ashes irritated his eyes.

As he tried to blink ashes from his tangled eyelashes, he thought he saw figures coming up the street. Normally he would have frozen in fear at the prospect of yet another Nazi capture, but not today. He was far too tired. The figures ahead, dressed in army green, headed straight their way. Basta couldn't stand any longer, and fell to his knees on his street, Anna spilling from his arms and rolling on the cracked pavement. And once again, the world went black.

Laughter. Basta slowly awoke to the warm sound of two women laughing and talking amongst themselves. They were speaking, he knew it, but their voices sounded like hushed whispers. As he came to, and started opening his eyes, the voices of the women became clearer, and he could start to make out what they were saying. He yawned and finally opened his eyes. He saw blurry lights, merely golden champagne bokeh to his eyes. But as he began to adjust he could see that he was looking up at a warm light. He turned his stiff neck as he yawned a second time, and noted that he was in some sort of hospital. The two women stopped talking and suddenly Basta heard a warm, friendly voice.

"Good Evening" she said, and Basta looked around to see where the soft voice was coming from. A young woman with light brown hair smiled at him. She was dressed in a white nurse's dress. She spoke fine English and wore a cute folded cap on her head. Her hair, which was light brown in color, was styled in soft curls. Her warm appearance put Basta at immediate ease.

"Where am I?" He asked, surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice. He didn't recall ever sounding so husky or haggard. The nurse knelt down next to his bed, so she could look him evenly in the eye.

"You're in a hospital in St Mere Eglise" she said softly, smiling nicely. "You were very badly injured, and quite sick. You were rescued by Canadian troops a week ago."

"A week ago?" Basta frowned. _And where is St. Mere Eglise? _Then suddenly he remembered Anna. "Where's Anna?" He asked, his stomach suddenly feeling tight. "The brunette lady I was with." The nurse's eyes flicked away for a moment.

"The German lady" said the nurse, "she's in another room."

"Is she alright?" Basta was terrified of the answer. The nurse offered a little smile and made a slight nod.

"Yes she is fine."

"Oh thank God." He realized then that his body was tense. He let himself relax into the soft bed. The second nurse, the one the brunette had been talking to, came to the bedside.

"How are you?" She asked. Basta opened his eyes and saw that she had raid hair.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"So what part of England are you from? We were sure you were German." Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. Basta really hated that question. _England. HA! What a bloody joke._

"A very small town" he said, trying to keep his temper.

"Well it doesn't matter where you're from I guess, we're just happy you're awake and well." The brunette nurse smiled.

"Can I see Anna?" He asked, his forehead puckering in a slight frown. He realized now that they had serious matters to discuss. He was a wee bit homesick. And although there were things he loved about the modern world, he missed the familiarity of Lombrica. Though, he reasoned, the pros and cons of both worlds weighed even. It would be up to Anna to decide if they were to stay in the World at war, or try to find a way to Lombrica.

**A/N: **

**H I S T O R Y**

**For those of you who love history, you will know that St. Mere Eglise (a town in Normandie, France) wasn't liberated until 1944. I'M USING IT IN MY STORY ANYWAYS. Because most of you would have been clueless if I didn't write this anyways.**

**Inkhearties! I am so sorry for not updating for so long! My life has been crazy hell for the past months. Math! Hockey (Way to go, Boston! YAH BRAD MARCHAND!)! And... Trips to the hospital! Yes that's right. Good Ol CaptainMajor has been in the ER on account of... abdominal trauma... YAH INTERNAL BLEEDING! Anyways, this story has been dragging out for faaar too long (Since November, I recall) and I've lost my lust for this story. It went away with the Snow, I guess. Thank you all for dropping reviews and encouraging me! I promise to repay you by sticking this story out till the end. Xx **


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